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Stonehenge

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  Location: Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England (Continent of Europe)
• Built by: Archeologists don’t know who built Stonehenge, but they believe local tribes worked together to build the massive monument. They left no written records of events during this time, so the site is a mystery.
• Date built: 2,000-2,500 BC (4,500 years ago in the late Neolithic Age)
• How long to build: It took about 1,500 years in 4 stages. The last stage was during the Bronze Age (1,500 BC)
• Size: About 330 ft (101 m) in diameter
• Weight: There are two types of stone at Stonehenge: -The outer stones are sarsen stones, a type of silcrete (quartz and cement mixture) weighing 25 tons (23 metric tons) each. -The inner stones are bluestones made from spotted dolerite (a type of quartz and other minerals mixture) weighing 2-5 tons (2-4.5 metric tons) each.
• It is a massive man-made prehistoric monument circle of standing stones.
• There were roughly 100 massive upright stones initially placed in a circular layout. There are only 38 still standing.
• The bluestones were brought from over 160 mi (257 km) away from the south in Wales. The sarsen stones were brought down some 20 mi (32 km) from the north in northern England.
• The stones have unusual sounds when an object hits them. They produce a loud clanging sound. Many people also think these stones have healing properties.
• Archeologists know it served as a cemetery in its earliest days and have found bone fragments and the remains of about 62 men, women, and children.
• Stonehenge is aligned with the sunset of the Winter Solstice (the start of winter) and the sunrise of the Summer Solstice (the start of summer). Today and throughout history, many people gather here on these days to celebrate the start of the new season.
• There is some evidence now that the site performed as a calendar. The outer ring was to keep track of the months and days, and they would know the days and months by when the sun was shining in the circle. They had other stones inside the circle that accounted for Leap Year and five additional days in their calendar.
• There is a legend that a famous wizard named Merlin magically moved the massive stones from Ireland to England after fighting a battle against invading Saxtons. He moved it here to symbolize the Britons who had died in the battle. Merlin also helps the legendary King Author and the Knights of the Round Table.