North of Salisbury, England, a prehistoric monument lies within the Salisbury Plain (STONEHENGE New World). The monument consists of a group of stones that have long beheld mysteries and theories as to how they got there. The mystery of the stones is known as Stonehenge.

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From the wear and weathering of the stones at Stonehenge, researchers have gathered information to date the stone arrangement. The markings on the stones match the tools used in the time period from C. 3000-1000 B.C. In other words, the late stone and the early bronze ages (STONEHENGE New World). Though scientist and researchers have approximated a time period of creation, who exactly built Stonehenge remains unknown.

Whoever the creators were, built Stonehenge in several phases. As a whole, Stonehenge was constructed, “Over a period of 2000 years...” (Robinson and Evans-Freke). The first phase consisted of, “Two raised circles of earth about 300 ft from each other with a series of 56 holes (now known as the Aubrey holes) arranged inside the circle” (Stonehenge Wonders). Around a hundred years later, the four rows of stones (as seen in the picture below) were situated in a circular formation. These sets of stones include Blue stones and Sarsen stones (STONEHENGE New World).

The stones could have only been found miles and miles away from where they stand today. The Blue stones were likely to have been transported over 250 miles from the Prescelly Mountains in Wales (Stonehenge Wonders). The Sarsen stones came from 24 miles away in the Marlborough Downs in southern England (Stonehenge Wonders).  The largest of the Sarsen stones at Stonehenge weigh up to 45 tons ("Discovering the Secrets"). Due to the size of the stones and the distance that the stones were moved, people over centuries have theorized ridiculous ideas of how Stonehenge came to be.  Some theories say giants from Africa brought the stones over to England and others have said the gods placed the stones there. Archeologists like Andrew Young have put the outrageous theories to rest. Though his test has not yet been proven, it is highly likely that the Neolithic people transported the stones using a rolling method ("Discovering the Secrets"). Stone balls with diameters only a few millimeters apart were excavated and given correlation to Stonehenge. Young felt that all the balls had to have been used together as a way to roll the stones from place to place ("Discovering the Secrets").

What we know about the Neolithic people of the Stone Age is that they were very skilled in carving stone and wood (Robinson and Evans-Freke). Though not much of the Neolithic culture survived, people have their stone structures left to remember them. Neolithic stone circles like Stonehenge have been, “Found all over the British Isles. Nearly a thousand stone circles still stand today” (Robinson and Evans-Freke).  As time passed, archaeologists found that most of the stones mark graves (Pearson and Goerke-Shrode).  The stones that mark the graves were formed as, “Megalith, upright slabs roofed by a capstone…” ( Pearson and Goerke-Shrode). The megaliths were considered stone tombs for the ones who had passed.

Due to further excavation, the world now knows that Stonehenge was once a burial site, but that is not how Stonehenge was always perceived.  Before the cremations were found in and around Stonehenge, scientist figured that Stonehenge, “Served as a celestial calendar predicting the movements of the sun and moon, clocking the seasonable cycle, and thus providing information that would have been essential to an agricultural society” (Pearson and Goerke-Shrode).  Stonehenge does align with the winter and summer solstice but more for religious purposes than agricultural use (Robinson and Evan-Freke).  Stonehenge is not the only structure with astronomical alignment.  All over the world, ancient people have incorporated them into their works (Robinson and Evan-Freke).  Recumbent stone circles found in Scotland also have an astronomical alliance.  The Recumbent stone circles had a, “Primary association with the observation of the extreme setting points on the lunar cycle” (Whitaker). What makes Stonehenge unusual from the other stone circles though is the cremated bodies buried at the site. Most of the remains found belonged to older males. If men were only to be buried at Stonehenge, “They must have been selected” (Robinson and Evans-Freke).  The male cremations gave way to a deeper discovery of Stonehenge and its surroundings.

Archeologist Mike Parker Pearson took advantage of Stonehenge’s new discovery. He had a fascination with the people of Madagascar’s association of timber wood linked with, “The living… and stone with the dead…” (Snodgrass). After he studied the people of Madagascar’s rituals of life and death, he brought his finding over to England. In England he begin to work with others in hope of finding a link between wood and stone at Stonehenge the way they were linked in Madagascar (Robinson and Evans-Freke).  About 1,000 meters away from Stonehenge lays a prehistoric layout of a village located at Durrington Walls that was recently founded by Pearson and other archeologist ("Stonehenge's Twin"). The house remains of the village believe to have been dated back to the same time as Stonehenge appears to be built ("Stonehenge's Twin").  The houses were, “Excavated nearby a timber henge of enormous postholes” (Key). Pearson and his crew suggested that Stonehenge and Durrington Walls, “Were built as a single complex of complementary stone and wood circles” (Key). Excavations of large mounds of pig bones at Durrington Walls also indicated, “Feasting around the time of the winter solstice” (Snodgrass). Pearson believed that, “Celebrations were held at both circles related to the rising and setting of the sun and the cycles of life between summer and winter” (Snodgrass). Pearson concluded from the connection that life was celebrated at Durrington Walls and death was celebrated at Stonehenge during the time of the Neolithic culture.

Every year thousands of people visit Stonehenge for scientific and recreational purposes. It is a well-known monument all through England and around the world. Stonehenge was at the top of my list of choices for the first time capsule topic and I am more than grateful that I was able to do research on it. I knew there was a great circle of stones in England called Stonehenge through stories and pictures but until now, I never knew why it is perceived to be a mystery or a historical structure. What I find meaningful behind Stonehenge is the lengths that the Neolithic people took to honor their dead. The stones, which were placed at Stonehenge, came from miles and miles away and align perfectly to the winter and summer solstices. A great amount of determination and dedication had to be in place in order to do so. It also fascinates me on how far scientist and technology have gone to solve the mystery of Stonehenge. Without people like Pearson or Young, the world may never have gained as much information as we know now about the stones today. Stonehenge beholds a mysterious beauty that is waiting to be solved. It is up to further generations to solve the wonders of Stonehenge yet still preserve the burials of our ancestors.

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<p style="text-align: center"><strong>Works Cited</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left">Key, David. "HOUSES OF THE HOLY". <em>Discover </em>28.2 (2007): 10-11. <em>Academic Search Complete</em>, EBSCO. Web. 15 Feb. 2011.</p>
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<p style="text-align: left">Pearson, Mike Parker, and Sabine Goerke-Shrode, 5 2009, 'Stonehenge Takes Shape', <em>dig</em>, 11,8, p.8, MasterFILE Premier,                            EBSCO<em>host</em>, viewed 31 January 2011.</p>
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<p style="text-align: left">Robinson, Alice and Evans-Freke, Anna "Secrets of Stonehenge". NOVA pbs.org. Web. 10 Feb  2011.                                                                     &lt;http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/secrets-stonehenge.html&gt;</p>
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<p style="text-align: left">Snodgrass, Elizabeth. "New Theory About Stonehenge." Editorial. <em>National Geographic</em> 20 May 2008: 3 pars. Web. 10 Feb 2011</p>
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<p style="text-align: left">"STONEHENGE." (n.d.) <em>Funk &amp; Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia</em>. EBSCO. Web. 31 Jan. 2011</p>
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<p style="text-align: left">"Stonehenge." <em>Wonders of the World</em>. 11. Toucan Valley Publications, Inc., 1999. <em>MasterFILE Premier.</em> EBSCO. Web. 30 Jan.                          2011</p>
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<p style="text-align: left">"Stonehenge's Twin Could Have Been the Dining Area." <em>Times</em> [London, England] 23 July 2010: 10. <em>Info Trac Newspaper. </em>Web. 7 Feb. 2011.</p>
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<p style="text-align: left">University of Exeter. "Discovering the Secrets of Stonehenge." Science Daily. 30 November 2010. Web. 10 Feb 2011</p>
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<p style="text-align: left">Whitaker, Alex. "Recumbent Stone Circles (RSC's)." <em>Ancient-wisdom: Online Guide to Prehistory</em>.n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2011</p>