Rating: 8,1/10 ( votes) Stonehenge is a very mysterious stone megalithic structure (also called cromlech), located on the territory of the Salisbury Plain. The local lands belong to the English county of Wiltshire, 130 km from the capital of the country. Stonehenge is considered one of the most popular and well-known landmarks in the world. Therefore, this object has long and firmly held its place in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The history of the creation of this unusual structure has not yet been precisely established. At first, researchers attributed the creation of the monument to the Druids, then the date of construction was pushed back to the New Stone and Bronze Ages, somewhere between 3020-2910 BC. er, at least basic construction work. If we turn to the legends, then the construction of Stonehenge there is completely connected with the name of Merlin. And the 17th century architect Inigo Jones assumed that this unusual structure was the work of the ancient Romans.
1901-1965 for Stonehenge was a time of significant changes in the appearance, restorations, in particular, the stones were strengthened and aligned in comparison with the old position. As a result, the general appearance of the monument has changed a lot, especially when viewed from the northwest side.
From the very beginning, the structure called Stonehenge looked like thirty tall stones elongated by four meters, forming together something like circles, the largest of which was 33 meters in diameter. Large stones on top united smaller stones, lying horizontally and serving as bridges. The Stonehenge design has a way out, thus forming a kind of horseshoe. In addition to stones, ditches and ramparts are symmetrically arranged here according to a certain system.
As for the purpose of this mysterious structure, the debate of scientists on this matter does not stop to this day. Researchers of the 18th century suggested that Stonehenge can be considered the oldest observatory, since the position of the stones corresponded to some astronomical phenomena. There is a large group of scientists who are inclined to designate Stonehenge as a grandiose burial place. Traces of burials were indeed found on the territory, however, they were made much later than the construction of the structure itself.
Over the years, Stonehenge has not lost its popularity at all, there is a constant flow of tourists here. Most of the excursions are conducted by the National Trust. The same organization provides all the necessary useful information and introduces the surroundings of the sight.We also recommend reading Puzzlewood UK Topic: Stonehenge UK. |