The Stonehenge at Salisbury Plains has been shrouded in mystery even before the time of Christ, but the truth of the matter is that nobody truly knows how this monument came to be. The origins of this monument range from logical theories to totally far fetched science fiction and middle age theories. This site has been around for over 4 millennia, but before the stones were even erected or on British land, it was used as a burial site. Then comes the weird theories, like Merlin from the King Arthur tales using his powers to move all of the stones into their formation or extraterrestrials coming down from outer space and giving knowledge to the ancient people in the area. Aside from these theories that lack any form of logical reasoning, the most widely accepted theory is that the monument was created as a religious shrine for the Druids of the area.
The Stonehenge is not shrouded in mystery just because they are huge stones weighing multiple tons in a circular formation, but that nobody truly knows when the formation came to be. Many archaeologists have opposing views on who created this monument, like Edomond Bolton credits it to the Celtic Queen Boudicca, which would make sense by the cremated remains found at the site. One of the most widely accepted ideas though is that the Druids of the time resurrected Stonehenge. Inigo Jones first said that Stonehenge was not the works of the Druids, but John Aubrey contradicted this by saying otherwise (“Stonehenge and the Druids”). Aubrey’s opposing views were recorded in his book “Monumenta Brittanica” where he calls Stonehenge a “Templa Druidum” (“Earth Mysteries: John Aubrey”). Many other people took up Aubrey’s conclusions to the creator of Stonehenge, like William Stukeley, but an...
... middle of paper ...
...help them build Stonehenge as well as other mysterious architectural pieces of the time (“Solving the Riddle of Stonehenge’s Construction”).
Although people may never know the true origins of Stonehenge, the main reason that it is so popular is because of the mystery surrounding it. A UFO landing site? A memorial brought forth by sorcery? This famous landmark has gained tremendous fame over thousands of years by the lack of knowledge we have of it. The most sensible theories like the Druids building it for religious ceremonies or as a burial site have taken the attention away from the more far fetched ones. This is why Stonehenge is a truly fascinating subject, because it has not been truly decoded. Aldous Huxley gives a perfect parallel to the mystery of Stonehenge, “There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception.”
Stonehenge is located on the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England. It is a megalithic monument built during the Neolithic Period, approximately between 2750 and 1500 B.C..(Stokstad, p.54-55) The builders of this magnificent monument remain unknown although it was once incorrectly thought to have been built by the Druids.(Balfour)
Stonehenge: a Human Vulva or Temple, or something else…? The content of this project is based on the largest and most complete megalithic structure in Europe, The Stonehenge. It resides in center of the southern England; on the wide spread Salisbury Plains. It is said to be old approximately four thousand years, and it is even considered older than the Great Pyramids of Egypt.
Hills, Catherine M. “Beowulf and Archaeology.” In A Beowulf Handbook, edited by Robert Bjork and John D. Niles. Lincoln, Nebraska: Uiversity of Nebraska Press, 1997.
Stonehenge is one of the words greatest mysteries as we have limited definite knowledge of its origins, its meaning or how the mighty stones were lifted. The only thing we can ever be entirely sure about is the location of Stonehenge. This is because radiocarbon dating on the stones shows us that Stonehenge came from around 5000 years ago - a time period before writing and recording information. There are many different theories behind the creation of Stonehenge and its significance – still today; historians do not have evidence to show who built it. Stonehenge has always been one of the words biggest questions, therefore leading to large amounts of speculations from different scientists, historians and archaeologists. But first we must know what a henge is, according to Dictionary.com a henge is “a Neolithic monument of the British Isles, consisting of a circular area enclosed by a bank and ditch and often containing additional features including one or more circles of upright stone or wood pillars: probably used for ritual purposes or for marking astronomical events, as solstices and equinoxes.”
The world has many unsolved mysteries that baffle even the most intelligent minds. One particular mystery, though, has remained truly unsolved. This mystery is the Easter Island heads that were built by people using primitive tools and manpower. Why is this mystery so puzzling and have we any clue about how the people of Easter Island accomplished this amazing task? Well, there are numerous facts, theories, and unanswered questions to be discovered. The following evidence further explains why and how the Easter Island people built the great stone carvings.
Behind every great structure in the world, there are the people who made them, and who took the time and effort to design them. Those who made Stonehenge succeeded in creating an incredibly complex and mysterious structure that lived on long after its creators were dead. The many aspects of Stonehenge and the processes by which it was built reveal much about the intelligence and sophistication of the civilizations that designed and built the monument, despite the fact that it is difficult to find out who exactly these people were. They have left very little evidence behind with which we could get a better idea of their everyday lives, their culture, their surroundings, and their affairs with other peoples. The technology and wisdom that are inevitably required in constructing such a monument show that these prehistoric peoples had had more expertise than expected.
The Parthenon is an amazing Greek temple that was built 2,500 years ago. Even the architects of today have numerous questions about how it was constructed and how it has held up through its eventful past. The Parthenon's detailed appearance is not its only meaningful quality. The Parthenon was constructed as a temple to the goddess, Athena, and as an icon of the Greek people themselves. The Parthenon represents the Greek ideals of humanism, idealism, and rationalism.
Stonehenge is without a doubt the most interesting monument in Europe. The ring of stones standing in the open vastness of Salisbury Plain is an evocative image of wonder and mystery. (Scarre, 130) Stonehenge is both traditional and unique in Britain colorful history. It is traditional in that it falls within a whole class of monuments characterized by circular banks and ditches, or by rings of standing stones. Its uniqueness is engulfed within the size of the stones, the complexity of their arrangement, and the balancing of the lintels atop the uprights. There are three other major monuments in Britain, and while they don't receive the same consideration as Stonehenge, they too entice much scrutiny. While the unique characteristics of Stonehenge only help to intensify its marvel, the ambiguities of its intention pose questions that today are still not answered. This essay will discuss monumentality as it compares to the four major henge enclosures in Britain. The monuments, namely Stonehenge, Avebury, Marden, and Durrington Walls, will be used in conjunction with discussing what purposes monuments can serve, as well as what the remains of a site can tell us about the culture of a society.
Stonehenge was first built around 5000 years ago, but the area in which it was built had been in use for many thousands of years before that. Stonehenge is located in the southern part of England, close to the English Channel. 10000 years ago, the Channel was much narrower and a bridge of land connected the southeastern part of England to western Europe. Hunter-gatherer tribes from the mainland of Europe travelled to England, most probably following groups of animals. Near Stonehenge was a large expanse of forest with small streams and plentiful resources. Aurochs roamed, wild plants grew freely, and stone for flint was readily available. (Source: movie) This was the first initial draw to Stonehenge. It seemed the perfect area for a group of
This sarsen circle enclosed five standing sarsen trilithons that were placed in a horseshoe plan (Lawson 1997). Approximately thirty kilometres north of Stonehenge, residing on the Marlborough Downs, rests a quarry. It is from this locale that the thirty massive sarsen stones are suspected to be brought from (Morner and Lind 2015). Of all the sarsen stones, eight are perceived to contain prehistoric carvings (Lawson 1997). The stones that have the most clearly visible engravings “…are representations of unhafted axe blades, probably indigenous flanged bronze axes… it seems most likely that these carving were added after the erection of the stones” (Morner and Lind 2015:
Human began to revolutionize away from hunting and gathering. Human life begin toward agriculture. During this period was where monumental sculpture began. It started with skull restoration. There were now more human painting instead of animal. There was a lot of megalithic found during this time. Megaliths. (Great stone) was using for honoring the death. There were all unique arrangement of megaliths also known as Stonehenge. Stonehenge it was actually a big, ancient calendar designed to keep track of time and important astronomical events. However, it could had been representation of religious shrine. Majority of the Stonehenge pointed to where the sun rise. Could it mean that they believed in higher being and rebirth? The most famous megalithic monument in Europe is Stonehenge on the Salisbury Plain in southern England. A henge is an arrangement of megalithic stones in a circle. Could had been some kind of ritual? Even today we still can guess of all the possibility. Art has millions of meanings, there is no one right
Archeology goes hand and hand with the study of the great epic poem Beowulf. Generally considered the oldest surviving peace of English literature, Beowulf obviously has many ties to historical sites and areas of archeological discovery. In recent years, these close ties to these sites have allowed historians, archeologist, and literary critics a new and unique view at the poem, which has allowed new information to be uncovered about both, the poem and Anglo-Saxon culture. New knowledge has been discovered particularly in the areas that were most important to the people living in this era, which were, warfare, the giving and receiving of treasure, and their beloved mead halls.
The evidence in regards to this topic is the embodiment of subjectivity. While it does provide an detailed overview of events such as the circumstances about how Lord Elgin was able to gain permission to transport the Parthenon marbles, the documentation is either bias or flawed. An example is how Lord Elgin has been viewed when he “liberated” the Parthenon marbles off the walls to be taken to his estate through the use of blackmail. The previous statement was a common opinion of British and Greeks citizens who saw Elgin as a thief who only wanted the marbles to put on display in his home. Alternatively others who favoured Elgin’s actions, viewed him as a hero who sought to enhance the cultural diversity of Britain. Both these interpretations are gross exaggerations on Elgin but they have had an impact on modern opinions on the Parthenon Marbles.
In my opinion, based on my understanding from the Stonehenge article and the video in class, the meaning behind the Stonehenge monument was used to perform sacred rituals. People somehow wanted to know where the deity is so they created an idea of a place to connect with the deity and honor the lives that were lost by doing a burial in the monument. These sacred rituals were used to connect with each other out of respect and remembrance of the lives that were lost during those times. Stonehenge was constructed around 3100-2300 BCE and I suppose that people during those times were more connected to a deity. People must have perform these sacred rituals because it was to believe that the deity could honor the lives that were lost. Overall, Stonehenge
Monuments are a symbol of a significant time in history. Monuments represent life, death, success, and struggle just to name a few. They have become as important to society as the events they represent. They bring history alive to new generations and memories to those who experience them firsthand. Monuments create a bridge between generations. Many parents feel a certain indescribable joyfulness when they see the look in their child’s eyes they had went they viewed the same monument.