😉 Greetings to regular readers and visitors of the site! Friends, many people ask the question: where is Stonehenge, in which country? I wanted to answer this question and tell everything that I know about this place.
Sometime in my youth, I first saw Stonehenge in a picture. Mysterious stones interested me. “I wish I could see them realistically,” I thought then. And when my travels began, seeing Stonehenge became my dream. And my dream has come true! The main thing is to have a strong desire! Anything is possible, guys!
A dream to see Stonehenge has come true! The main thing is to have a strong desire! Everything is possible!
By the way, US President Obama said that visiting the famous monument was on the list of what he dreams of accomplishing in his life. On September 6, 2014, his dream came true.
What is Stonehenge
When I first found out where Stonehenge is, I was surprised. In my understanding, these stones could be located anywhere, but not in Europe. But this stone monument is located in Europe, in Wiltshire, 130 km from London!
Stonehenge is one of the most mysterious structures on the planet. In the language of the ancient Celts, “Stonehenge” means “dancing stones”. The oldest monument is in the Salisbury Valley, UK.
Even at the stage of the emergence of civilizations, people built grandiose structures, which later became famous all over the world. Among them is Stonehenge, known as the Stone Enigma, in the heart of Europe.
Its age is comparable to the age of the Egyptian pyramids. But to this day, the interest of historians and astronomers in this amazing monument of antiquity continues unabated. Various hypotheses and versions of its origin and purpose are put forward.
The history of Stonehenge
Today, Stonehenge researchers agree that the time of its construction was between 3500 and 1600. BC. The complex was built in several stages, with breaks between them in 2-3 centuries.
Stonehenge. View from above
According to legend, Stonehenge was built by Merlin, the omnipotent magician at the court of King Arthur. In one night, he moved boulders from southwest Wales, famous for its sacred springs.
For a long period, the Celts were considered the builders of the stone circle. Then this version was refuted, believing that the Celts could not erect such a structure. At the same time, they hypothesized that this was a building of the ancient Romans.
In the Middle Ages, it was believed that Stonehenge was created by the Swiss or the Germans. With all the diversity of opinions regarding its origin, one thing is clear – only a highly developed civilization was capable of this.
Mysterious stones are a complex of huge upright boulders that form several circles. The total weight of the structure is 82 stones weighing 5 tons each. 30 stones of 25 tons and 5 triliths each of 50 tons.
“Heel stone”
The triliths in the center (a pair of vertical stones overlapped by a third at the top) form arches that point exactly to each of the cardinal points. At the entrance to the complex there is a huge 6-meter “Heel Stone” – just above it, on the day of the summer solstice, the sunrise is visible.
“Heel stone” weighing about 35 tons
It was found that part of the material for the construction of the complex was delivered from quarries located at a distance of up to 300 kilometers from the construction site. The heaviest stones were transported from the nearest place, 30 km away.
The results of specially conducted experiments showed that a group of 24 people would take a day to drag a stone weighing a ton over a distance of 1 kilometer. It took the ancient builders several years to deliver such huge blocks. According to scientists, the ancient monument was built by thousands of people over 300 years.
Like many ancient structures, Stonehenge is resistant to seismic activity. According to research data, during its construction, special platforms were used, designed to dampen or smooth out tremors. Also, the structure is practically not susceptible to “soil shrinkage”.
Stonehenge riddles
What prompted the ancient people to put so much effort into processing and transporting huge boulders and placing them in a strictly established order? To date, many hypotheses have been put forward about the purpose of an intricate design.
The most common among them is astronomical. After computer reconstruction of the ruins in 1998, additional evidence emerged that the complex was a gigantic ancient observatory.
Tourists are not allowed close to the stones. A fence in the form of a stretched rope was installed
It turned out that the structure is an exact model of the solar system, however, consisting not of 9, but of 12 planets. This model is consistent with the ideas of other ancient civilizations (Sumerians, Egyptians) and confirms the latest astronomical hypotheses.
The builders of the stone monolith possessed incredible knowledge at that time. They knew exactly the orbital period of the moon and the length of the solar year.
For ancient astronomers, huge triliths served as astronomical instruments. On the day of the winter solstice, the rising sun is clearly visible through one of the triliths. And through the other two, you can observe the sunsets of heavenly bodies.
According to one version, Stonehenge was erected for the purpose of predicting eclipses and to determine the dates of the beginning of agricultural work.
Besides the astronomical theory, there are other theories. Some scholars believe that the structure served as a temple for the ancient Celtic Druids who worshiped the Sun.
Other adherents of the temple version claim that the circle of stones was built by the Romans in honor of one of the gods of the Pantheon.
Some researchers, citing the burials found here as evidence, put forward a version of the royal tomb or the burial place of local leaders.
English historians also suggest that Stonehenge served as an ancient sanatorium. Belief in the supernatural power of blue cobblestones brought the sick and wounded here from the surrounding villages.
Other hypotheses
The material confirmation of the version was the discovery under the complex of the remains of people with traces of long-term injuries. Today’s inhabitants of Wiltshire and Wales still pass on stories about the healing blue dust to their children and grandchildren.
There is also a hypothesis that geometry was studied in the circle of stones. The complex has the shape of a 56-sided polygon. This is the most complex geometric shape that can be constructed from a circle and a square using only a rope.
Ancient builders have built the structure for centuries and redesigned it several times to achieve the correct shape.
More incredible hypotheses are also popular – that the aliens built Stonehenge.
Supporters of these versions point to the fact that people who lived in the Neolithic era could not have known the exact dimensions of the Earth, the Moon and other planets, which were reflected in the location of giant boulders.
There are also versions that the circle of stones is a gateway to another dimension or a message from other worlds.
The British nicknamed the mystical structure “Dance of the Giants” – the stones placed in a circle resemble giants holding hands, circling in a round dance.
Even today, heavily destroyed, Stonehenge is impressive. It can be called the eighth wonder of the world.
The mystery of the ancient monument has not yet been solved. Only one thing is known for certain: its builders, whoever they were, had outstanding knowledge of astronomy, mathematics and architecture.
Where is Stonehenge (video)
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