Stonehenge

Our group visited Stonehenge on August 28 and as you can imagine, we were all in awe to see what is probably the most important prehistoric monument in Britain. The word “henge” comes from an old English word meaning “hanging” but the word has been adopted by archeologists to describe a group of Late Neolithic circular monuments. The earliest stage dates back to around 3100 or 3000 BC which includes the Aubrey holes (round pits about 1 meter wide with steep sides and flat bottoms) in the outer perimeter. In about 2150 BC the bluestones, some weighing about 4 tons, were brought from mountains that are about 240 miles from the site. It is believed these were dragged on rollers and sledges and then put into rafts to transport them on rivers. They are located within in the inner circle of the monument and form an incomplete double circle. In about 2000 BC the giant Sarsen stones (these weigh up to 50 tons) were brought from a possible site about 25 miles north of Stonehenge. As we visited the site at dusk, the dramatic view allowed for introspection and a lot of imagination.

The most highly regarded archeologists of the country are currently working on an excavation between the Aubrey holes and the stone circle. A special photography crew was also in the site when we were there and you can probably see their equipment in the background of some photos.