Why Is The Stonehenge Important

Thesis Statement: The Stonehenge is a complex work of art; as it has been built over different periods of time representing wide range of ideas and thoughts. It is a monument that encapsulates the identity of a collective society of an era. It portrays the belief and value system, status, faith, relationship with the supreme being (god), and technological knowledge of the citizens of a society that is associated with the making of the Stonehenge. The large span of time and ambiguity of the society related to the Stonehenge has made most archeological surveys uncertain and thus, creating a mystery about, why was a monument containing, just stones weighing thousands of tones, in a relatively isolated area built? What was the motivations and purpose behind building it? And, how all these elements give an account of the civilization existing around the area.

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.

The artifact functions as a music box and was a prominent instrument during the Sumerian age and was most commonly used during funerals. In addition, since the piece of work was found in a royal tomb, one can further assume that it played a role in ancient funeral rites or banquets13. The Epic of Gilgamesh, explained earlier, could have also played a role in the development of this piece since it was a large part of literature in the Sumerian age. Even though the poem was written down hundreds of years after this plaque was created, it could be evidence for the first documentation of a long oral tradition13. Although there is no known patron of the work, it was most likely intended to be played and seen by an audience and give respect to the dead. In contrast, the Lapith Fighting a Centaur was apart of the Parthenon and had been widely known for centuries; it wasn’t a recent discovery. The relief, along with the 96 others on the building, depicts a legendary war between two factions. Even though these were mythic tales, they played a large role in Ancient Greek lives. The reliefs were created to most-likely educate the people of Greece about their gods and to recreate their religious

Although Stonehenge and the Pyramids are both marvels of the ancient world, the differ from each other in many ways. While the construction for both began around the same time period – construction for Stonehenge began around 3100 BCE (Dr. Senta German) while the pyramids began around 2580 BCE (The Great Pyramid of Giza) – the time spent building Stonehenge far exceeded the time spent building the Pyramids. Unlike the Pyramids, Stonehenge was built in three phases. The first phase of construction began “when a great circular ditch about six feet deep was dug with a bank of dirt within it about 360 feet in diameter, with a large entrance to the northeast and a smaller one to the south” (Dr. Senta German). Within this ditch, known as a henge, were 56 pits, known as Aubrey holes filled with either upright bluestones or upright wooden beams, whose original purpose is unknown. The second phase began approximately 100-200 years later and involved a circle of upright wooden posts in the center of this henge. More upright posts were also erected near the northeast and southern entrances. During this phase, the site of Stonehenge was used for burials; “at least 25 of the Aubrey holes were emptied and reused to hold cremation burials and another 30 cremation burial pits were dug into the ditch of the henge and in the eastern portion within the henge enclosure” (Dr. Senta German). During the third and final stage, occurring 400-500 years later, Stonehenge was completely remodeled. The central wooden beams from stage two

The Stonehenge is one of the great seven wonders around of the world. For decades, archaeologists are puzzled by this unique structure. They ask questions like what was its purpose, how was it built and by whom. Archaeologists believe it was built around 3000 BC to 2000 BC. Stonehenge holds many mysteries and theories that brought many tourists to visit over the years. Many stories have been told due to these mysteries and theories. Stonehenge is a complicated ancient megalithic whose complexity involves not only its construction but also a calendar for archaeologist. Numerous investigation has gone into discovering those theories on Stonehenge. Stonehenge is located in Wiltshire, England. One theory suggested that it was a places of burial

Over a span of 2,000 years, monuments have been added to Stonehenge. While most are buried today, they are still visible and well preserved. Stonehenge’s features include the Aubrey Holes, 350 burial mounds, Cursus, Woodhenge, Durrington Walls Henge, Stonehenge Avenue, and West Amesbury Henge. The Aubrey Holes were the first monuments in Stonehenge, built around 3,000 BCE. The Aubrey Holes were 56 pits inside of a circular enclosure formed by a bank and a ditch. Its main purpose was to store cremated ashes of dead bodies. After the Aubrey Holes were made, bluestones and sarsens were dragged from long distances to construct the circular stone monument. The 350 burial mounds were long barrows meant to cremate and bury the dead. The Cursus, built from 3600 to 3400 BCE, were two long earthwork enclosures. Both Woodhenge and Durrington Walls Henge were timber circle monuments built in 2,300 and 2,500 BCE, respectively. Stonehenge Avenue was an ancient road that lead to Stonehenge monument and was built from 2,500 to 1,700 BCE. Finally, West Amesbury Henge was a stone circle monument built in 2,400

The Athenian Greeks at the height of their power built a temple called the Parthenon which was a monument to their core values of perfectionism, humanism, and rationalism. It is important to understand that the human eye has imperfections which deceive the mind, so one can understand the unique steps that were taken to achieve the illusion of perfection to the human eye. The Greeks loved perfection, and as seen in the Parthenon, the Greek architects purposely made the Parthenon imperfect to account for the imperfections in the human eye. This was done so that when one views the Parthenon with the naked eye, it appears to be perfectly symmetrical, straight, and proportional. The entire Parthenon does not have a single right angle. An example of the Greeks compensating for the imperfections of the human eye is seen in the base of the Parthenon, which from a picture or in real life looks perfectly straight, but in reality it is actually curved slightly upward. It is curved because the Greeks knew that if you have a perfectly flat base for a building, it appears curved to the human eye. To account for that, the Greeks made it so that the base was already curved. The Greeks also curved the columns of the Parthenon inward, because if the columns were straight, it would appear to be curving outward. Again, the Greeks knew about how the human eye deceives the mind, and decided that they must trick the eye to please the mind. This was all done because the Greeks strived for

The philosophical ideas of Plato that relate to the Parthenon include whether the structure is an element of the Visible World or the Intelligible World. In my opinion, Plato would view the Parthenon as an object in the Visible World. The Parthenon is a one of a kind monument that is tangible and exists in our real world. The Parthenon is an architectural project and deals with forms of science and mathematics. Plato's view of science and mathematics are categorized as forms in the Intelligible World, which are intangible. Through analysis of illusory tactics, the Tripartite Soul, the simile of the line, and the artistic qualities of architecture, Plato's, as well as my view of the Parthenon will become evident.

Some stones are taller, while others are shorter, some are round on top, while others are flat. All stones are natural. None of the stones were refurbished, coincidentally, the stones look as though they have just been dug out of the Earth. If a stone was placed in a location other than a cemetery, and one did not know better, he or she may be inclined to assume that the stone had no significance. The appearance of the stones is symbolic of the modesty endorsed by the religion.

Typically when we think of henges we think of stonehenge. Interestingly enough, there are many henges across Europe. For example, woodhenge is the remains of a complex timber structure. West Kenner Long Barrow is the largest chambered tomb in Europe. Sillburry Hill is the largest mound in Europe and is so large that it is thought to have taken 500 men working every day for 10 years to complete this structure. Aveburry which is one of the largest henges may have been a grand cermonial site. Lastly, Stanton Drew which is second in size to Aveburry is 100 meters across. Through research with a mangetometer, wood posts were placed in a circle which may have been used for blood

The Parthenon is located on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece; is a former temple which was dedicated to Greek goddess Athena, whom the Athens considered their leader. According to the British Museum (2015), The Parthenon was built nearly 2500 years ago and has a long and complex history. After thousands of years it became a church of the Virgin Mary of the Athenians, then a mosque and then finally resulted in a archaeological ruin. After the result of a ruin, the buildings were reformed in which various sculptures were damaged. During the 1800’s after the Parthenon being damaged, the Elgin marbles (Elgin) a part of the remaining sculpture, was removed and given to a British museum. For hundreds of years there has been a question if the British museum should return the Elgin marbles back to the Athenians or not. I believe that that the safest and most beneficial place for the Elgin marbles is the British museum, therefore the British should not return the marble to the Athenians.

No place has generated so much speculation and wild theories as the standing stones of Stonehenge. After traveling for miles through the rolling hills and plains of the English countryside the sight of this unusual structure made me gasp. A walk around it only provoked more strange feelings. There's a sense that this is something very important. For over 5000 years it has stood silent vigil over the

The oldest part of Stonehenge, called Stonehenge I (constructed ca. 3100 BCE), consists of little more than a circular ditch dug in the soil of the Salisbury plain, with the excess soil piled up to make an embankment approximately six feet tall. This area is approximately three hundred thirty feet in diameter, and encompasses “Stonehenge proper” – the familiar circles of massive stones that once stood

Stonehenge was a stone structure established a long time ago by civilizations before the Druid age. More than 4,000 years ago, the people of the Neolithic period supposedly decided to build a massive monument using earth, timber and eventually, stones.They placed it high on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England about 137 kilometres southwest of London. The purpose to build Stonehenge still remains a mystery. Stonehenge could have been a temple, an astronomical calendar, or a guide to the heavens. Stonehenge acts as a prehistoric timepiece, allowing us to speculate on what it would have been like during the Neolithic Period, and who could have built this megalithic wonder.

Stonehenge, erected around 2500-1600 B.C.E. by tens of thousands of labor workers, represents the peaceful coming together of east and west Britain. It is thought to be a cultural, spiritual, historical, and a sacrificial center. Many experts believe Stonehenge may have also been a burial site for the elite. Located in Wiltshire, United Kingdom, it is believed that 3 separate tribes are responsible from building what is known as Stonehenge. The Windmill people around 2500 B.C.E., the Beaker people around 2000 B.C.E., and the Wessex people around 1600 B.C.E. Today, Stonehenge is the most famous megalithic site in the world, attracting more than 800,000 visitors. Stonehenge uses color, material, and shape, as well as pattern, balance, and emphasis, in order