Stonehenge

Overview

Stonehenge is one of the world's most famous and enigmatic prehistoric monuments, located about 90 miles west of London on England's Salisbury Plain. Built roughly 5,000 years ago—around the same time as Egypt's Great Pyramid—the site has captivated observers for centuries. Its massive standing stones, some weighing up to 30 tons, were arranged with remarkable precision, indicating sophisticated planning and deep cultural significance among their builders.

Stonehenge is part of a broader European tradition of "henges," ceremonial landscapes defined by circular ditches and earthworks. The monument is composed of concentric rings of towering sarsen stones and smaller bluestones, the latter transported from Wales, a distance of more than 150 miles. Archaeologists believe the stones were moved over generations using wooden rollers, sledges, rafts, and coordinated human labor, then raised into place with levers and ramps.

The site's purpose remains debated. Burials, ritual gatherings, and alignments with the midsummer sunrise and midwinter sunset suggest Stonehenge functioned as both a ceremonial center and an astronomical marker. Today, Stonehenge is visited by over a million people each year, from tourists and researchers to modern-day druids who gather to mark the solstices.

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