Everyone has heard of Stonehenge, even those who aren’t particularly interested in history. But while many people marvel at its ancient stones, not everyone knows what it actually is. Ironically, some history enthusiasts avoid Stonehenge, dismissing it as too touristy and preferring other, lesser-known sites. Well, they may have a point — but there’s more to the story.
The truth is, there’s nothing quite like Stonehenge anywhere in the world. Yes, it’s a stone circle, but it’s one of a kind. To understand its uniqueness, let’s go back to the beginning.
Stonehenge is believed to have been built around 3000 BCE, even before the most famous Egyptian pyramids, during the Neolithic period — just to give you and idea, it’s the era when people began to settle down, farm, and domesticate animals.
The Architecture
First, it’s important to know that Stonehenge doesn’t look today as it did in ancient times. Over the centuries, its structure evolved, and what we see today is just one version of Stonehenge’s many phases.
Today, we know that Stonehenge once featured an outer ring, the Sarsen Circle, about 100 feet in diameter. This circle comprised 30 upright stones topped by 30 horizontal lintels, creating a perfectly round crown. Inside this, there was a smaller arrangement of five massive trilithons, forming a horseshoe shape. Within this horseshoe lay 10 or 11 smaller stones and a flat "recumbent" stone that may have served as an altar. We can see the remnants of these constructions nowadays.
There was also a larger outer circle, known as the Aubrey Circle, made of bluestones thought to have been transported from Wales. However, this outer circle is no longer visible today.
One of Stonehenge’s most distinctive features is its trilithons — structures made of two upright stones supporting a horizontal stone across the top. While trilithon-style constructions were common in parts of Asia, they were rare in Europe, making Stonehenge’s design particularly unusual for its time. Additionally, the stones at Stonehenge are “dressed,” meaning they were intentionally shaped and smoothed, which contrasts with the rough, raw stones typically used in construction during that era.
Source: "Megalith, studies in stones"
Image: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/
The Heel Stone
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The Avenue
The Astronomy and Geometry of Stonehenge
Not just stones
When you go to Stonehenge, don’t forget to also look around. The open field surrounding the stone circle is full of ancient features and secrets. You’ll notice many barrows, probably burial centres during the megalithic culture. Those seem to be aligned to the midwinter sunrise or sunset, reminding a curious symbolism: at the shortest days of midwinter, the death of the Sun leads thereafter to its resurrection, a daily increase in light.
A Secret
If you go to Stonehenge, don’t forget to go and visit the Avebury complex. It is just a stonthrow from it. It is the biggest stone circle in the UK and it encloses many more secrets…
