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Stonehenge Primary Sources

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Located in Wiltshire England, Stonehenge is a World Heritage site consisting of 4,500 year-old stones with some reaching heights up to 4.5m (15ft). Ever since the Middle Ages, the site has been one of the greatest mysteries in Europe being subject to multiple speculations and theories.

Scientific discoveries indicate to us that the sites major construction first began in approximately 3000 BC. Neolithic builders are believed to have laboured for 1500 years. We now know that the Stonehenge was built in three stages [23 & 24]:

• FIRST STAGE: Built in around 3000 BC, the first variation of Stonehenge (known as the earthwork enclosure) consisted of the Aubrey holes (fifty-six chalk pits, approximately one metre wide) and a ditch. Inside the …show more content…

Archaeologists and historians are yet to determine what it was used/built for, however there are multiple interpretations. Some of these interpretations include but are not limited too:

1. A Burial Ground: According to a study by archaeologists back in 2013, Stonehenge served as a ‘giant burial ground’ [15]. After working at the site for years, Professor Mike Parker Pearson led an excavation and study into the 50,000 bone fragments belonging to 63 bodies buried around the site. This study uncovered not only uncovered that Stonehenge was built around 2500 BC rather than the previously thought 2700 BC, we now have evidence that the first monument’s (smaller stones [bluestones]) purpose was to serve as a graveyard for a community of what where known as elite families. Research on the sexing of the remains has told us children were buried and that the number of women almost matches those of men. Professor Parker Pearson spoke about the use of DNA extraction on the remains and he said: “At the moment the answer is no to extracting DNA, which might tell us more about these individuals and what the relationship was between them – but who knows in the future?” …show more content…

It has allowed us to date the construction of Stonehenge and establish theories on what the site was constructed/used for. It is suggest by the results of radiocarbon dating, that construction on Stonehenge continued until roughly 1600 BC.

Excavations carried out on Stonehenge led to the discovery of multiple human remains which where later uncovered to be majority female. The bones had been sexed, uncovered further details about the role and importance of women in ancient England. The number of women’s remains found buried at the monument so close to those of the male counterpart, it’s suggests women may be been of importance and or value to their society.

Evidence of almost 100 of the stones has revealed without the need to excavate the site, due to remote sensing, ground-penetrating radar and geographical imaging technologies. These advancements in science and technology allow researchers to discover the historical monuments full extent. Fragments of bones, stones and the foundation pits in which they were situated have all been uncovered during excavations and technological mapping indicating the true size and importance the site was to the Neolithic

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