Stonehenge - More than just a pile of rocks

 "It's just a pile of rocks in a field" an acquaintance said to me after visiting Stonehenge. "It's disappointing. I don't know what the fuss is about". Well recently I visited the pile of rocks to see "what the fuss was about"  and I thought it was absolutely marvelous.

The short rock (far right) is the heel rock this points to the sunrise at summer solstice

Believed to have been constructed between 3000BC and 2000BC, by a culture with no written records to tell us why, it has been the subject of conjecture over the centuries.  There are many theories for it's construction such as it was a religious site, or it was built for ancestor worship, perhaps it was a funerary on account of the large numbers of deceased buried nearby, or even a place of healing, but the current, and most generally accepted interpretation of the site, is that it was a pre-historic temple which aligned with the sun in the winter and summer solstices.

The colossal stones, weighing about 25 tons each and standing 4 meters high, were brought long distances, some from as far as 250 kilometers away, a phenomenal feat. It is believed they were dragged on sleds along wooden tracks greased with pig fat and next to the Visitors' Centre there is a mock up of the type of sled most likely used. Examination of the stones shows they were dressed using sophisticated techniques and were erected using interlocking joints, something unique to Stonehenge. Although there are many hundreds of stone circles in the world Stonehenge is the only surviving linteled stone circle. Surrounding the site there are 350 burial mounds putting the monument at the heart of one of the largest cemeteries discovered in Neolithic Britain.

Replica Neolithic village based on what has been found in excavations

The Visitors Centre is excellent.  There is a museum where you can learn about the site, view unearthed artifacts and see pictures of its restoration. Near by is a tiny replica Neolithic village and, of course there is the ubiquitous gift shop and cafe. Regular shuttle buses take visitors to and from the site although it is an easy walk up a gently sloping hill, however the shuttle is handy if you are time constrained. Although visitors cannot actually enter the stone circle you get close enough for it not to matter. Fortunately for me it was a glorious summer's day for my visit so I spent a long time walking right around the perimeter, looking at it from all angles and marveling at its construction.  I was thinking of the people who constructed it, how motivated they were to carry out this back breaking work and imagining what their short lives were like (average life span was around 35).

People on the right indicate the scale of Stonehenge

Today many thousands of people flock to Stonehenge to watch the sun rise precisely over the heel rock on the morning of the summer solstice. The winter solstice is marked by the arrival of modern day druids, pagans and people from a variety of beliefs who hold ceremonies on site as they watch the setting sun shine through the two tallest rocks directly opposite the heel rock. Archaeologists believe that the winter solstice was the more important to the Neolithic people.  Excavations of the surrounding countryside and the nearby village of Dorrington Walls,  show that the winter solstice was the time when most cattle were slaughtered and beer and wine were fermented so it appears the village was a site of winter festivity.

If you are interested in prehistory Stonehenge is a must.  I am so glad I visited and, no, it is not just a pile of rocks in a field, it is a remarkable monument to the skills and ingenuity of a people who lived thousands of years ago. And it holds mysteries that might never be uncovered.