Stonehenge Research Paper

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

(Source: flint) Soon, three large wooden posts were erected possibly to mark the uniqueness of the area or to mark the migration patterns of the animals they hunted. Stonehenge was continually occupied through the Mesolithic era and into the Neolithic. At this point the earth had warmed up significantly and England became an island, leaving those living there isolated. With the rise of the Neolithic came different customs. Long barrows were built to bury the dead. Within the Stonehenge landscape many long barrows were built and the area slowly became more open. Peoples moved into the area and began to farm and settle down. They began to alter the landscape as more people came to settle there. At this time, around 5500 years ago, the Greater Cursus was created. The Greater Cursus is a 2-mile-long piece of land surrounded by a trench. 500 years later, Stonehenge was built. The first aspect was the surrounding trench and the pits just within. 500 years later the inner horseshoe and circle were erected. In the next 300 years the horseshoe would be rearranged multiple times and the Avenue, a 2-mile path to the River Avon, was