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Stonehenge Research Paper

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The mystical alignment that lies on the Salisbury Plain is one of the world’s most mysterious sites of England. The monument that sits shrouded in mystery is the great megalith Stonehenge. This megalith was built between 3100-1100 BCE. ("Stonehenge Facts." Sacred Sites. Web. 21 Apr. 2015). Stonehenge is a massive monument with great big stones aligned in a perfect circle. The monument consists of two different types of stones, Sarsen and Bluestones. Bluestones themselves weigh about 4 tons and were brought to the Salisbury Plain from the Preseli Mountains in South Wales, about 250 miles away. Sarsen stones however can stand 18 feet tall and weigh about 25 tons, these stones were brought from Marlborough Downs which is located about 20 miles away. The …show more content…

These different phases took a period of over 1500 years to construct. (Wilde, Robert. "Stonehenge - A Profile of Stonehenge." Web. 21 Apr. 2015). Over the millenniums some of the great monuments’ stones were lost to decay, builders and some tourists actually chipped some of the stones. There have been hundreds of thousands of archaeologists that have tried to pinpoint the reason why the structure was created but the lack of sources does not allow them to do this. Some think the site was built for ritual purposes but what rituals are unknown. The first phase was constructed during the Neolithic period. This obviously is the oldest phase, occurring around 3100 years ago and was carried out by the Windmill Hill culture. These people built a henge and a circular ditch around the monument. Inside the ditch were fifty-six holes with cremated remains found inside of them. The purpose of these holes is unknown. In the next few centuries wooden structures were also added. The purpose of these wooden structures is also unknown. The most confusing and controversial phase is definitely phase 2. (Wilde,

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