Stonehenge

Stonehenge

United Kingdom · Wiltshire, England

Temple / ritual siteIntermittent excavationUNESCO · 1986
Approximate period3,000 BCE — 1,500 BCENeolithic and Bronze Age See on the map ↓

In brief

Numerous archaeological excavations have taken place at the ceremonial site, which was created in different phases beginning around 3000 BC. Stone arrangements, pits and human remains are used to investigate the site's construction and funerary practices.

What was found?

  • 1Cremated human remains

    Cremated human remains were found inside and around the Aubrey holes and in the ditch. These show that Stonehenge was used as a cemetery during its early phase.

  • 2Aubrey holes

    56 pits were identified inside the earth bank. Researchers debate whether these held wooden posts or whether at least some of them held stones.

  • 3Altar Stone

    It is one of the sandstone blocks in the monument. According to researchers, comparison of mineral ages indicates that the stone was brought from the Orcadian Basin in northeastern Scotland.

  • 4Sarsen stones and interlocking joints

    The large upright stones and the horizontal stones above them were joined using carefully shaped connections. The application to stone of joining methods found in woodworking reveals the engineering skill embodied in the structure.

  • 5Stone macehead and bone pins

    A stone macehead and bone pins were found in association with cremated human remains in the Aubrey holes. These objects are among the material evidence of the early cemetery phase.

What does it point to?

Stonehenge shows that commemoration of the dead, monumental construction, and the sun's seasonal movements came together in the same place. Stones brought from distant regions indicate extensive connections; according to researchers, the Altar Stone's Scottish origin further expands the scope of these connections.

What did it teach us?

  1. It showed that the site was used as a cemetery before the large stone arrangement.
  2. It revealed that the monument was built in different phases and that the stones were subsequently rearranged.
  3. It documented that Neolithic communities used advanced techniques for shaping and joining stones.
  4. According to researchers, the Altar Stone shows that Neolithic stone transport could extend across Britain.

Images

Stonehenge - Image Picture Photography (14884844251)
Grand Parc – Bordeaux, France from France · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Chalk-filled holes at Stonehenge, England, summer 1971
John Atherton · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Stonehenge - geograph.org.uk - 1621129
Peter Trimming · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Stonehenge-Altar-Stone P1110732
The Stones of Stonehenge · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Latest news / selected archive

2024: Mineral and isotope analyses showed that the Altar Stone originated in the Orcadian Basin in northeastern Scotland.

Record

Culture
British Neolithic and Bronze Age communities
Coordinates
51.1789°, -1.8261°

Sources

  1. english-heritage.org.uk
  2. whc.unesco.org
  3. eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk
  4. nature.com
  5. en.wikipedia.org
  6. English Heritage — Stonehenge tarihi
  7. Nature — Sunak Taşı'nın kökeni araştırması, Aberystwyth Üniversitesi arşivi

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