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Stonehenge: The Mystery. Where is Stonehenge?. Location: Wiltshire, Southwestern England, West of the Avon River on Salisbury Plain Three Phases of Construction Stonehenge One Stonehenge Two Stonehenge Three. (Hamlin 910-911) (“Stonehenge, England”). Stonehenge One.
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Where is Stonehenge? • Location: Wiltshire, Southwestern England, West of the Avon River on Salisbury Plain • Three Phases of Construction • Stonehenge One • Stonehenge Two • Stonehenge Three (Hamlin 910-911) (“Stonehenge, England”)
Stonehenge One • Began around 3100 B.C. • First step – Dig circular ditch • Second step – Aubrey Holes • Third Step – Placement of Slaughter Stones • Fourth Step – Placement of Heel Stone (Hamlin 910-911) (“Stonehenge”) (“Stonehenge, England”)
Mystery of Stonehenge One Heel stone is level with Horizon. (Stonehenge decoded 58-59).
Mystery of Stonehenge One (continued) • Abandoned around 2900 B.C. • Nearest site of bluestones: over 100 miles away • Theories to Stonehenge One • The stones were moved from Wales down the Avon River to Stonehenge and then rolled on logs to construction site. • The stones were brought way earlier by an iceberg. Workers rolled these stones to the construction site. (Hamlin 910-911) (“Stonehenge”)
Stonehenge Two • Construction began around 2600 B.C. • New Generation of Druids (Celts) were believed to have completed this phase. • In this phase of construction, the Horseshoe trilithon is built. • Trilithon - a setting of stones where there are two stones erected beside each other and one stone laid on top of the two standing stones to make an arch-like setting. (Hamlin 910-911) (“Stonehenge”)
Stonehenge Two • Construction of Horseshoe shaped trilithon • Brought fifteen bluestones to the edge of the site • Beaten with hammers until finally smooth • Ten stones brought in and set vertically in a horseshoe shape facing the main entrance • The remaining five stones were laid on top of the ten vertical stones • This created five separated trilithons that created a horseshoe (“Stonehenge”) (“Stonehenge, England”)
Mystery of Stonehenge Two • First theory • Dirt ramp was built to top of the vertical stones and the stones were pushed to the top • With so much pressure and weight on the vertical stones, how did they not fall down? • This is why this theory is not highly accepted. (Hamlin 910-911).
Mystery of Stonehenge Two (continued) • Most widely accepted theory • Workers pushed the stone on a platform at the base of two vertical stones • With hammers and wedges, workers lifted the stone high enough to put another plaform underneath it • After repeating this process over and over, the stone would be at the height of the vertical stones • Workers then slid the stone on top to create the trilithon • This process of setting stones on top was repeated for all five groups of trilithons (Stonehenge Decoded)
Stonehenge Three • Started construction around 2300 B.C. • This is the final stage of construction • Like Stonehenge Two, a new generation of workers built Stonehenge Three • Built with Sarsen stones • Quarry located twenty miles away from Stonehenge • Weighed twenty-five tons and stood thirteen and a half feet tall • Sixty Stones carried from the quarry • Before they were assembled inside of the circular ditch; a large stone, called the Altar Stone, was laid in the middle of the horseshoe (“Stonehenge, England”) (Hamlin 910-911)
Stonehenge Three • Thirty sarsen stones were stood vertically all facing the horseshoe in a circle • The other thirty sarsen stones were laid on top of the vertical stones • Instead of being paired into groups, the lintels “top stones” shared base stones to create a circle (hint the name Sarsen Circle) (“Stonehenge”) (Hamlin 910-911)
Stonehenge construction • Gerald S. Hawkins (Stonehenge Decoded) (Beyond Stonehenge)
Other Reasons for Construction Religious Worship Center for Fertility Woodhenge Alien Landing Site (Owens)
Video http://www.history.com/flash/VideoPlayer.swf?vid=53144635701 (“Stonehenge”)
Bibliography • Hamlin, Christine. “Stonehenge.” World Book. Chicago: World Book Inc., 2011. • Hawkins, Gerald S. Beyond Stonehenge. New York: Harper and Row, 1973. Print. • Hawkins, Gerald S. Stonehenge Decoded. Garden City New York: Doubleday and Company Inc. 1965. Print. • Owens, James. “Scientists Try to Crack Stonehenge’s Prehistoric Puzzles—National Geographic.” Science and Space Facts, Science and Space, Human Body, Health, Earth, Human Disease – National Geographic. National Geographic. Web. 26 Jan. 2012.http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/archaeology/stonehenge/. • “Stonehenge.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 12 Jan. 2012. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/567331/Stonehenge. • “Stonehenge, England.” Sacred Sites at Sacred Destinations – Explore Sacred Sites, Religious Sites, Sacred Places. 12 Feb. 2011. Web. 12 Jan. 2012. http://www.sacred-destinations.com/england/stonehenge.