Stonehenge Facts

Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in Wiltshire, England, about 2 miles

(3 km) west of Amesbury and 8 miles (13 km) north of Salisbury. One of the most
famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is the remains of a ring of standing stones
that is between 4,000 and 5,000 years old. See the fact file below for more
interesting information and facts about Stonehenge.

Stonehenge is probably the most well known prehistoric stone monument in the world. It is
located in Wiltshire, England and is 2 miles (3 km) west of Amesbury and 8 miles (13 km) north
of Salisbury.

It is located in the middle of the most dense complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age
monuments in England and there are several hundred burial mounds in the area.

Archaeologists believe Stonehenge was built anywhere from 3000 BC to 2000 BC, which
would make it between 4,000 and 5,000 years old.

Stonehenge is the remains of a ring of standing stones set within earthworks (artificial
mounds of rock and soil) and evidence found in 2008 indicates that it may have been an
ancient burial ground from its earliest beginnings.

Some archaeologists believe Stonehenge might have been used as a calendar.

Stonehenge is one of over 1,000 stone circles found in the UK and is the most famous stone
circle in the world.

There are 83 stones at Stonehenge and two different types of stone are used.

The larger stones are called sarsens and are up to 30 feet (9 meters) tall and weigh 25 tons
(22.6 metric tons) on average. It is widely believed that they were brought from Marlborough
Downs, a distance of 20 miles (32 kilometers) to the north.

The smaller stones are called bluestones because they have a blue tinge when wet or
recently broken. These weigh up to 4 tons and come from several different sites in western
Wales, having been transported from as far away as 140 miles (225 km).

It is still unknown specifically how the stones were transported to Stonehenge in ancient
times and there are many theories and ideas. They may have been sailed along the river on
wooden boats or pulled using primitive sleds made from tree trunks. Another possibility raised
by scientists is that during the last ice age, glaciers may have carried the stones from Wales to
somewhere closer to Stonehenge. If that theory is true, then the makers of Stonehenge
wouldnt have had to carry them so far.

To put in perspective the amazing structure of Stonehenge, scientists estimate that it may
have taken around 20-30 million man-hours using the primitive tools available at the time. With
10,000 men working on the site for 20 days each year, for 8 hours per day, it would have taken
12.5 years to complete.

It is not known who the makers of Stonehenge were, but they built it with mathematical
precision as well. The circle is precisely matched to the direction of the midsummer sunrise and
midwinter sunset and the movements of the moon.

Built in several stages, Stonehenge began about 5,000 years ago as a simple earthwork
enclosure where prehistoric people buried their cremated dead. The stone circle was erected in
the centre of the monument in the late Neolithic period, around 2500 BC

Two types of stone are used at Stonehenge: the larger sarsens, and the smaller bluestones.
There are 83 stones in total

There were originally only two entrances to the enclosure, English Heritage explains a wide
one to the north east, and a smaller one on the southern side. Today there are many more gaps
this is mainly the result of later tracks that once crossed the monument

A circle of 56 pits, known as the Aubrey Holes (named after John Aubrey, who identified them
in 1666), sits inside the enclosure. Its purpose remains unknown, but some believe the pits
once held stones or posts

The stone settings at Stonehenge were built at a time of great change in prehistory, says
English Heritage, just as new styles of Beaker pottery and the knowledge of metalworking,
together with a transition to the burial of individuals with grave goods, were arriving from
Europe. From about 2400 BC, well furnished Beaker graves such as that of the Amesbury
Arche are found nearby

Roman pottery, stone, metal items and coins have been found during various excavations at
Stonehenge. An English Heritage report in 2010 said that considerably fewer medieval artefacts
have been discovered, which suggests the site was used more sporadically during the period

Stonehenge has a long relationship with astronomers, the report explains. In 1720, Dr Halley
used magnetic deviation and the position of the rising sun to estimate the age of Stonehenge.
He concluded the date was 460 BC. And, in 1771, John Smith mused that the estimated total of
30 sarsen stones multiplied by 12 astrological signs equalled 360 days of the year, while the
inner circle represented the lunar month

The first mention of Stonehenge or Stanenges appears in the archaeological study of

Henry of Huntingdon in about AD 1130, and that of Geoffrey of Monmouth six years later. In
1200 and 1250 it appeared as Stanhenge and Stonhenge; as Stonheng in 1297, and the
stone hengles in 1470. It became known as Stonehenge in 1610, says English Heritage

In the 1880s, after carrying out some of the first scientifically recorded excavations at the
site, Charles Darwin concluded that earthworms were largely to blame for the Stonehenge
stones sinking through the soil

By the beginning of the 20th century there had been more than 10 recorded excavations,
and the site was considered to be in a sorry state, says English Heritage several sarsens
were leaning. Consequently the Society of Antiquaries lobbied the sites owner, Sir Edmond
Antrobus, and offered to assist with conservation

Almost a million people visit Stonehenge every year and it is owned by the Crown (also
known as the state) and managed by World Heritage. The land Stonehenge is on is owned by
the National Trust.

A new visitor centre was built for Stonehenge in 2013 at a cost of around 35 million in total.

British author John Michell believed that Stonehenge was built on several ley lines. These
are supposedly lines of energy that run all of the world and connect many ancient sites.

Stonehenge has appeared in folklore and cultural depictions throughout the ages. One
legend says that the Devil placed Stonehenge, while another from Arthurian legend says that
Merlin the magician created the stone circle.

The site has also appeared in a number of films and popular culture. In the 2010
film Stonehenge Apocalypse an ancient piece of machinery is found beneath the bedrock. In
the 1985 film National Lampoons European Vacation, Chevy Chase accidentally reverses his
car into Stonehenge and knocks all of the stones down. More recently, the Norwegian comedy
band Ylevis released a song called Stonehenge in 2013.