Stonehenge

Stonehenge

 

 

For many of years a lot of us, myself included believed that the Druids may have built Stonehenge, however radiocarbon dating has proved that this site actually existed long before the Celtic society that beget the Druid Priesthood. The Celts only came into the area after the year 300BC. We now have proof that the first phases of construction occurred on the Stonehenge site in about the year 3100 BC. Let that sink in for a moment, the year 3100 BC; it is no wonder people from all over the world flock to this mysterious site.

 

The first monument at Stonehenge would have been a circular enclosure, a ditch of sorts that was dug with tools made of antler. Inside 56 pits have been located (called Aubrey Holes), these seem to have been chalk pits used to bury cremated remains of prehistoric people.

 

Construction on this site carried on for several hundred years, with the larger sarsen stones we see in the middle of the monument being set in 2500 BC, and about 200 or 300 years later the smaller bluestones would have been added. Radiocarbon dating now suggests that additions were made and stones were rearranged multiple times up until about 1600 BC.

Most archeologists believe that the sarsen stones were brought to the site from Marlborough Downs, about 25 miles away. These stones weigh 25 to 40 tons a piece. The bluestones are believed to have come from Wales; these stones would have traveled about 200 miles. The bluestones have a blue tint when they are broken or wet and weigh between 2 and 5 tons a piece.

Charred remains of both men and women have been found in the Aubrey Holes, analysis of these bones revealed that human remains were buried in the holes over a period of 500 years. It appears there was once a circle of small standing stones and that each of these stones may have represented the person buried there. During the original phase of burials humans remains were buried within the Aubrey Holes with later burials occurring in the ditch at the outer limits of the stones.

I was a little disappointed with our trip to Stonehenge, only because I had long dreamed of standing in the middle of the stones, reaching out to touch them and feel the energy that surely must vibrate from them. Sadly, visitors are no longer able to walk up to and inside the stone circle, I suppose because over the years there was damage both on purpose and accidental to the site. The monument is now roped off with a walkway; you are able to walk around the entire monument and can actually see it very well. The energy is different in the air there, I stopped, closed my eyes for a moment and just tried to wrap my mind around the massive amount of time that has passed since building began on this mysterious place.

 

While we know for sure that this area was used as a burial ground, there are still many unanswered questions,why it was built the way it was, how it was built and the people who built it and what other purposes did the site hold. I suppose the not knowing is part of the reason I have long wanted to visit this magical site.