Stonehenge history. Stonehenge: history and legend. Ticket prices

Huge stones, mounds, ditches, pits and ramparts - for many centuries, Stonehenge has been of interest to historians, astronomers, astrologers, who put forward various theories of the reasons for its origin and purpose.

Many people wonder how old this building is and what is the history of Stonehenge. In terms of age, it is not much younger than the Egyptian pyramids - according to the latest data, it was built almost four thousand years ago. The ancient inhabitants called it the “Dance (or round dance) of the giants”, and with just a glance at it, it immediately becomes clear why.

It has long been known where Stonehenge is and what it looks like. The building is located in Wiltshire County in the UK. According to the latest data, its construction began around 1900 BC. e. (at the end of the Stone Age), and ended three centuries later (while it was rebuilt three times).

First, the builders dug a ditch in the shape of a circle, then installed blocks and pillars of wood, dug out and placed 56 holes in a circle. The central element of the building turned out to be the Heel Stone, seven meters high, right above which the Sun still rises on the day of the summer solstice. This is exactly what the old building looked like.

The structure of the UK is extremely resistant to seismic activity. Studies have shown that builders have achieved this thanks to special platforms designed to soften or even extinguish tremors. Another feature is that they do not give the so-called "shrinkage of the soil."

The building itself has the following description:

1. 82 stone blocks (megaliths). According to recent studies, the volcanic stones of Stonehenge are blue or greenish-gray in color, weighing 5 tons, most likely brought here from Karn Goedog, which is very far from Stonehenge - at a distance of 250 km. Scientists are still putting forward different theories about how the ancient British dragged a large number of five-ton blocks over such a distance.
2. 30 stone blocks. Blocks of stone weighing 25 tons each, four meters high, and about two wide, the ancient builders placed in the form of a circle, the diameter of which was 33 m. Each such stone is a little more than three meters in length. The distance between the top of these lintels and the ground turned out to be about five meters. In our time, an arc has been preserved, consisting of thirteen blocks with crossbars.
3. 5 triliths. The weight of each trilith is 50 tons. They were located inside this circle and formed a horseshoe. They were installed symmetrically - the height of one pair was six meters, the next one was higher, and the height of the central trilith reached 7.3 m. By the nineteenth century, only two southeastern triliths remained, as well as one curved support of the main stone. At the beginning of the 20th century, experts restored one northwestern trilith and straightened the support of the central one, which brought its appearance closer to the original.

Building Versions

Many people ask who built Stonehenge, how Stonehenge was built and how old it is. Stonehenge was built for several centuries and a huge number of people worked on the construction (it should be borne in mind that at that time very few people lived in the UK). Therefore, many scientists believe that all the peoples living at that time in this area were involved in the construction.

To build such a structure, the ancient British used dolerite, volcanic lava, volcanic tuff, sandstone and limestone.

Half of the monoliths were delivered from a site located more than two hundred kilometers from the building. According to some assumptions, they were delivered first by land, then - by water, according to others - they themselves sailed here by natural means.

Even experiments were carried out that showed that in a day twenty-four people are able to move a one-ton block of just one kilometer. This means that the delivery of one heavy monolith from ancient people most likely took several years.

Stones were processed in several stages in order to obtain the desired look and shape. First, even before moving, they were prepared for transportation with blows, fire and water, and after delivery they were already processed and polished, after which they acquired the desired look.

In order to install a block, they dug a hole, lined it with stakes, along which they rolled the monolith. After that, the ropes were installed in a vertical position and fixed.

Laying the crossbars was much more difficult. According to some assumptions, in order to put them on parallel stones, earthen elevations were made, along which the monoliths were tightened. According to others, they raised them using logs. First, they put them at the same height, dragged a block on them, then they built a higher pile of logs next to it, lifted a stone on it, etc.

purpose

Considering how many years and centuries it took to build Stonehenge, the number of people involved (according to some sources, at least a thousand) and efforts, the question arises why Stonehenge was built in the UK.

At first, its construction was attributed to the Druids. In the Middle Ages, most people believed that Merlin erected it overnight after the victory of the British king over the Saxons. During the Renaissance, historians decided that the Druids could not erect such a building, so the Romans most likely built it.

Now some scientists are convinced that this building is the burial place of Queen Boadicea. Moreover, the remains of ancient people were found here, according to the version of scientists, who belonged to 240 representatives of the local elite. At the same time, most of the human bones belong to 2570-2340. BC, and the oldest ones are older by another millennium.

Most researchers are inclined to think that buildings of this type were not only ritual, but also astronomical structures, since here they could intensively study other planets, stars, sunrises and sunsets.

Astronomical theory

Now, few people question the fact that Stonehenge was a huge observatory from which they watched the sky. Here it was determined on which day the summer and winter solstice would occur (at this time the Sun rises directly above the Heel Stone), and they began to keep an annual count of time.

Also in the course of research, scientists noticed that on the day of the winter solstice, the Sun is perfectly visible through one trilith, and the sunsets of celestial bodies through the other two. And two more were used to observe the moon.

Some scientists have put forward the idea that the holes located inside the circle accurately imitate the trajectory of the Pole of the World, which existed from 12 to 30 thousand years ago, as a result of which a version appeared that Stonehenge may well be much older than it is now suggest.

For example, David Bowen, a professor at the University of Wales, conducted research that enabled him to claim that this structure is 140 thousand years old. The theory, of course, is unlikely, but it exists.

Interestingly, when the scientist reconstructed the primary view of Stonehenge with the help of a special computer program, he came to surprising conclusions: the ancient observatory was also an absolutely accurate model of the solar system, consisting of twelve planets. At the same time, two, unknown to us now, are hiding behind Pluto, another one is located between Mars and Jupiter. The model surprisingly confirms the latest hypotheses of modern astronomy.

eclipse predictor

Eclipses of heavenly bodies have always caused an ambiguous reaction among our ancestors - they were simply afraid of them. Therefore, according to one of the hypotheses, Stonehenge in the UK was built precisely in order to warn of a possible danger in time.

For example, Gerald Hopkins claims that at the time of the construction of Stonehenge, eclipses were when the rising moon appeared over the central block in winter. Autumn eclipses of the night light occurred when its rising completely coincided with one of the stones from the outer side of the circle.

It was in this place that the moon appeared once every eighteen years. And this means that three such cycles add up to fifty-six years - the number of holes installed in Stonehenge. Many years ago, when the ancients, after a certain time, shifted stones from one hole to another, they determined when such an event frightening them would occur, accurate to the time of the year.

Stonehenge is a wonderful place that attracts and attracts those around who are interested in its description and history. Stonehenge: interesting facts is the most requested question of tourists, to which the guides are happy to answer, revealing the secrets of the amazing construction of the ancient inhabitants.

Stonehenge is a giant stone mystery in the very center of Europe. Today, very little is known about its origin, purpose and history. The mystery remains how ordinary people could calculate and build such a hulk. Our review contains 15 facts about one of the most mysterious monuments in Europe.

Despite the fact that there are still disputes about who and why Stonehenge was built, scientists have a clear idea of ​​when it was built. The oldest elements of the megalithic structure date back to 3000 BC. (then they started to dig 2-meter ditches to form the outer features of the structure). Stones began to be installed around 2500 BC, and Stonehenge finally acquired its modern appearance around 1500 BC.

2. There are special terms for discussing this kind of monuments

There are two main types of stones at Stonehenge. The large upright and arch stones are composed of sarsen, a type of sandstone that is common in the region. Smaller stones are known as "blue stones". So they were named because they acquire a bluish tint when wetted. The giant three arches that made Stonehenge famous are called triliths.

3 Some Of The Stonehenge Stones Were Delivered From Far Away

When it came time to choose the stones to build, the Neolithic builders of Stonehenge did not like the local stones. Some relatively small bluestones (which can weigh up to four tons) have been imported from the Preseli Mountains in Wales. No one knows how giant stones were delivered over 250 km.

4 Stonehenge Was Originally A Cemetery

Although the original purpose of Stonehenge's construction is still shrouded in mystery, anthropologists can say with certainty that in the period before the appearance of the first large stones, the monument served as a resting place for the remains. Currently, at least 64 Neolithic people are known to have been buried at Stonehenge.

5. The remains continued to be buried at Stonehenge and later

Most of the remains found at Stonehenge were ash. However, in 1923, archaeologists discovered the skeleton of a decapitated Anglo-Saxon man dating back to the 7th century AD. Since the man was executed, it can be assumed that he was a criminal, but his burial at Stonehenge led archaeologists to believe that he could belong to the royal dynasty.

6. Rumors about the purpose of Stonehenge are often completely ridiculous.

Stonehenge's dark past has given rise to countless theories about the monument's original use. Theories range from a Druidic temple or observatory to a solemn site for the coronation of Danish kings. More far-fetched theories suggest that Stonehenge is a model of the solar system built by ancient aliens.

7. The first written mention of Stonehenge dates back to the 12th century.

Historian and explorer Henry Huntington is believed to have made the first written mention of Stonehenge in the following passage, which dates from 1130: “Stanenge, where stones of amazing size are set in the manner of doorways ... and no one can understand how such huge blocks were able to lift, and why it was done that way.

8. In the Middle Ages, people believed that Stonehenge was created by the sorcerer Merlin

In the absence of any more compelling theories about the creation of Stonehenge, medieval Britons believed the speculation laid out by the clergy historian Geoffrey of Monmouth. He claimed that the mysterious monument was the work of the legendary sorcerer Merlin.

9 Popular Myth: The Devil Created Stonehenge

Witchcraft was not the only supernatural explanation for the appearance of the melalitic monument. The mystery surrounding the transportation of the blue stone from Wales to Wiltshire has given rise to yet another paranormal explanation: the stones were placed by the devil simply out of mischief.

10 Neo-Druid Alco Ceremony

In 1905, a group of 700 people, allegedly members of the Ancient Order of the Druids, organized a supposedly religious ceremony at Stonehenge, at which alcohol flowed like rivers. Contemporary print media gleefully ridiculed the event.

11. Visitors are not allowed to climb rocks.

The ban appeared only in 1977, when the fact of significant erosion of stones due to their contact with people was established. And at the beginning of the 20th century, tourists were given chisels to make it easier for them to chip off a souvenir for themselves.

12. Charles Darwin made interesting discoveries while studying earthworms at Stonehenge.

In his old age, Charles Darwin became interested in earthworms. One of the sections of his works is devoted to the studies of the famous naturalist at Stonehenge. In 1870, Darwin studied earthworms and stated that as a result of the activities of these animals, large stones gradually sink into the ground.

13. Stonehenge used to be a full circle

Recently, restorers noticed strange dents in the peat around Stonehenge. Scientists have suggested that these are traces of stones that once closed the ring of the monument, and sank into the ground over the centuries.

14 An Ordinary British Citizen Owned Stonehenge For Three Years

Stonehenge has been the legal property of the British state for most of the last century, but would never have fallen into the hands of the government were it not for the charity of Cecil Chubb. In 1915, a millionaire bought Stonehenge for his wife as a gift for £ 6,600. However, his wife did not like the gift and three years later Chubb donated Stonehenge to the state on the condition that the monument be maintained unchanged and open to visitors.

15. In the fall of 2015, you can bet on Stonehenge

For the centenary of Chubb's landmark purchase, an interactive re-enactment of the 1915 auction called "Sale of the Century" is being held. All bets will go to the reconstruction of the monument.

Lovers of history and antiquities will be interested in and who will dispel many of the myths that existed about this monument.

Not only scientists are interested in this place, but also ordinary people. Tourists flock to London to see everything with their own eyes. For many years, historians, astrologers, astronomers and physicists have been declaring new theories of the mystical Stonehenge - giant boulders that still attract the attention of the entire planet. If you like to travel, then come to the UK, to this mystical place, as soon as the opportunity arises. It will be interesting.

When was the mysterious object built? What is its essence and purpose? Many scientists agree with the theory that Stonehenge stones are almost the same age as the Egyptian pyramids. The latest information on this study says that the structure is almost 4 thousand years old. The inhabitants of the ancient world came up with their own nickname for the area - the Dance of the Giants. One glance at the huge mounds and ramparts is enough to agree with this name.

Did you know? Stonehenge is unusually resistant to even the strongest shocks from the bowels of the Earth. Studies were carried out on the ground, which gave interesting information. For the stability of the structure, the builders used special foundations that softened, and sometimes even stopped, underground shocks. The features of the platforms do not end there - such a base also prevents soil shrinkage.

Where is Stonehenge

So much has been said and written about the megalithic “building” that a brief description will have no effect. We will understand in detail where Stonehenge is located and why so many visitors come here. For this structure, they even came up with a special name “cromlech” - an ancient object, which is presented in the form of a stone circle from the Bronze Age or the Neolithic era.

The ancient cultural heritage is located in the county of Wiltshire in England. From the capital to Stonehenge, the distance is 130 km, if you move southwest, go 3.2 km to the city of Amesbury to the west, and if you find yourself in the town of Salisbury, then another 13 km to the stone blocks. This is one of the most famous archeological monuments in the world. For hundreds of years, interest in this place has not faded not only among ordinary residents of other cities and countries, but also among researchers. Many historians and astronomers have dedicated their lives to discovering the secrets of Stonehenge. Address of the religious building: Amesbury, Salisbury, SP4 7DE.

How to get there

Traveling alone has its advantages, and the most important of them is freedom of movement. But if you are just starting to try yourself as a traveler, then it is better to contact an agency and book a tour. From London getting to Stonehenge on your own is not easy, but possible. Direct transport does not go here, so you need a transfer in the town of Salisbury.

If the wallet allows you to spend, then on Taxi or rented car the trip will be much faster and more comfortable. The average price for a round trip taxi is 200 pounds. If you drive on your own, it is easier to get on the A303 and M3 highways. There are other routes, but they will take longer.

Tourists often choose by train because it's cheap and fast. Transport to Salisbury departs hourly from Waterloo Metropolitan Station. You can buy a ticket right here at the box office, and the fare will cost a maximum of 33 pounds. The train schedule changes depending on the season, so you need to check it in advance on the website of the station or directly at the station. An hour and a half journey goes by quickly. Then from the railway station in Salisbury you need to go to the bus stop.

Buses from Salisbury to Stonehenge go by regular or tourist routes. If you take a ticket at the station, then the fare will be 18-22 pounds in both directions. The ancient monument is half an hour away, and on the way with one stop at the bus station. For a taxi in both directions, you will have to pay a minimum of 50 pounds.

History of Stonehenge

Despite a large number of different theories, it is still unknown who built Stonehenge and why. Scientists managed to find out how the construction of the mysterious object took place. Cromlech was built in several stages:

• 3 thousand years BC. During this period, the inhabitants of this area established blocks of the outer circle - they made the boundaries of the sanctuary and placed four motionless boulders. In the northeastern part, a void is visible among the stones - in this place the solar stone of Helios was installed. The era of the first construction work "distinguished" and the tombs, which the scientist Aubrey found in the XVII century. However, most modern researchers are sure that the burials appeared on the site later;

• 2.9-2.6 thousand years BC. During the second period of construction, wooden structures appeared inside the outer stone circle. Today, the structures are practically destroyed by time and the environment, so it is not possible to learn more about this period;

• 2.3-1.5 thousand years BC. Blocks of sandstone and bluestone appeared at Stonehenge. The blocks were placed in the center of the entire composition so that they formed a circle with a diameter of 33 m. There were thirty such structures in total. Another block in the form of a crossbar was placed on top of the stones. Today this structure is called a triolith. In the reviews, tourists indicate that when they see these objects in front of them, they understand that it is precisely such an association that the whole Stonehenge evokes. The outer circle is formed from 13 triolites - it is this part that has come down to our century almost undestroyed. Within the ring were five horseshoe-shaped stones. Trioliths were installed “by height” - the smallest six-meter blocks stood on the sides, and the largest seven-meter “representative” was in the middle. The altar towered in the overall composition in the most prominent place - in the center.

This is interesting. Each blue stone weighed almost four tons, and the closest they could be found 385 km from Stonehenge (today the quarry of East Wales), and the giant 25-ton sandstone boulders were located 35 km from the mysterious building. How could ancient people drag huge stones across such a distance? Until history unraveled this riddle.

destruction

The environment was not favorable to the megalithic structure. Due to the sharp warming in January 1797, one of the stone blocks could not stand it and fell. In 1900, there was a terrible storm, in which another large boulder could not stand.

Over the past 100 years, nature has not harmed the Stonehenge trioliths as much as sloppy visitors. In 1740, the scientist William Stukeley was amazed at the grandeur of this mysterious place and was surprised at the tourists who beat small pebbles from boulders with hammers as a souvenir.

During the Victorian period, the desire to take a “piece” of Stonehenge with you flourished with greater force. Now tourists not only took “souvenirs”, but also left notes as a keepsake. Such vandalism amazed the scientists of that time - to leave the phrase “G. Bridger, 1866, Chichester” was beyond their strength. The furniture maker Thomas Chippendale noted that Mr. Bridger must have been preparing this inscription for more than one day.

Barbaric habits continued into the 20th century. A military camp was located on Salisbury Plain during the First World War. Then the soldiers destroyed the eastern part of the ancient ditch for two miles. This "running track" was located in the north of Stonehenge. At that time, it was rumored that the structure was going to be completely demolished, since the cromlech interfered with the work of airplanes.

The appearance of the stone structure was changed most of all by enthusiasts. In 1898, the land on which Stonehenge stood was inherited by Edmund Antrobus. Initially, a wealthy entrepreneur wanted to sell the object to the Americans, then he decided to stop damaging his property. The restoration was undertaken by Professor William Gauland. One megalith was straightened, the rest of the blocks were supported by wooden structures. Then the entire Stonehenge was reinforced with cement. Mr. Antrobus has done a lot of research here. The triolite, which fell in 1797, was only raised in 1958. Thanks to the restoration, it was possible to find out that on the tops of the stones there were spikes that exactly fit into certain holes in the horizontal surface.

Restoration

The rest of the restoration work was carried out after the end of the First World War. The weakest triolites and stones were removed from the places where they stood for almost 4 thousand years. New cement was poured into the foundation, and with the help of steel beams, stone blocks were placed in their rightful place. This work was captured on cameras by news reporters and photojournalists.

The trioliths that fell in 1797 and 1900 waited for restoration in 1958. The blocks had to be lifted with a crane, which is used in aircraft hangars. After these restoration works, only seven trioliths stood at their starting points, while the rest were in layers of concrete. But from the side it seemed that reality could not be distinguished from the drawings of the 17th century. So it was until 1963, when the 23rd stone fell due to the fact that it was hooked by the 22nd triolite while moving with a winch. The last work took place in 1964, when the 23rd block was put in place. After that, no one touched Stonehenge for half a century. Unless cars that drive along the highway are disturbed by megaliths.

“From scratch” or how Stonehenge was built in 1954

When information appeared on the Internet that Stonehenge was actually a hoax and a way to make money, many rushed to test this theory. Is it true that cromlech appeared in Wiltshire not 4 thousand years ago, but some 50-60 years ago?

It turned out that before 1954 there are no photographs of the area on which the megalithic object stands. The fact is that from the 19th century, drawings and engravings on which this building is located have come down. The restoration of Stonehenge in 1954 took place almost from scratch due to the large number of destructions of the local landmark. However, who and why needed a complete reconstruction of the object? Another mystery, but of the modern world.

Stonehenge in numbers

The famous place not only has an interesting history, but also has a summary of numbers that also tell something about Stonehenge:

• the structure consists of 82 stone megaliths. Studies have shown that blue blocks of volcanic origin weigh 5 tons, and their nearest location is 250 km from Stonehenge. It is still unknown how the ancient Britons could drag 30 blocks that far;
• 25-ton stones 4 m high and 2 m wide stand in the form of a ring with a diameter of 33 m. The blocks are connected by transverse structures. Each stone-beam is 3 m long. From the upper part of such a lintel to the soil, almost 5 m. A circle has been preserved to this day, which is formed from 13 blocks;
• Triolite weighs up to 50 tons. These designs were in the inner circle in the shape of a horseshoe. They were installed symmetrically. The height of the central block was 7.3 m. Until the beginning of the 19th century, only two trioliths and a bent support of the main block survived. Only in the 20th century was another triolite restored and the central stone corrected - now the block looked more like the original design.

Legends of Stonehenge

In the history of the stone structure, there are not only proven reports, but also various myths. After all, until now no one knows why and for what purpose Stonehenge appeared. The official story is that before the ancient Romans, wild tribes lived on the territory of England. However, it is here that the thought creeps in - how could primitive people one and a half thousand years before the birth of Christ deliver giant blocks of stone to a certain place, and even put them on top of each other? Maybe these inhabitants were not as wild as history says? There are three main hypotheses about who built Stonehenge:

• Iberians. These tribes were the ancestors of the Basques. The Iberians lived in what is now Wiltshire before being driven off by the Celts. Proponents of this hypothesis are sure that nobility were buried inside the stone structure. Sacrifices were also arranged here, since Stonehenge also served as a temple of the Sun. The location of the stone blocks indicates that the ancient sorcerers knew astronomy, and the trioliths helped keep track of the Sun and Moon. When the Celts settled on the territory, they began to use Stonehenge for their own rituals;

• druids. In the 19th century, for those who were interested in the famous stone structure, scientists told the theory - a well-coordinated pile of stones was built by the Druids, and the place itself is the tomb of the pagan ruler Boadicea;

• old observatory. In the middle of the 20th century, researcher Gerald Hawkins convincingly wrote in his scientific work that Stonehenge is an observatory in which each pair of trioliths are points that fix the positions of the main luminary, the Earth's satellite and other celestial bodies. In addition, before the volcanic eruption on the island of Santorini happened in 1528, the calculations of ancient astronomers were 100% correct. Today, due to the change in the angle of the earth's axis, the error is one degree. Hawkins argued that the megalithic structure is occult, but has nothing to do with the religion of the Druids or the rites of the Celts. If people created such a structure to worship the gods, then the modern world does not yet know who these gods are.

Scheme of Stonehenge

The photo of the stone structure clearly shows that the altar was located in the center of the structure. The sanctuary is made of six-ton ​​monolithic mica sandstone, which was somehow delivered from Wales.

To the right and to the left of the entrance, in the inner circle of trioliths, barrows without burials were located at equal distances from each other. Near the beginning of the inner ring there is a fallen block 4.9 m long. At the very first entrance to Stonehenge, a heel stone is installed, and to the left of the entrance to the inside there are two trioliths that were once in a vertical position.

A moat is formed between the outer and inner circles of megaliths, and there are two ramparts on the sides. From the entrance there are parallel pairs of pits and boulders 3 km long. In the center of the overall structure are two circles, consisting of 30 even ditches. Near the inner ring are 56 pits, known as Aubrey holes - in honor of the scientist who discovered them. To the left of the entrance, at a distance of ten meters, there is another “reserve” passage, called the small southern entrance.

Summer Solstice Festival at Stonehenge

Only one day in a year can you touch the legendary blocks. According to Wikipedia, for the first time in a hundred years, the British authorities allowed local druids to celebrate the summer solstice at Stonehenge in 2000. The custom to meet the dawn on this day near the cromlech has taken root since the 19th century. In the 70s and 80s of the last century, hippies held their summer festival in the stone circle, but in 1985 the celebrations were canceled due to problems with the police. In 1999, representatives of English Heritage relaxed the bans. Now anyone can meet the dawn on the day of the summer solstice in the company of friends for free.

Today, thousands of people gather for the celebration. Druids arrange rituals, songs are heard from everywhere and dozens of bonfires are blazing. Drums play in the background, and the dawn comes with the apogee of drumming. Many guests come in carnival costumes. There are only a few restrictions left: you can’t pitch tents on the territory, take sleeping bags. At dawn, people wrap themselves in blankets. There is also a limit on alcohol consumption - one bottle of wine or four cans of beer per person. It is also forbidden to climb stones, but it is allowed to touch them. Amplifiers are prohibited, but acoustic instruments are welcome. Many visitors come with guitars and drums. Every year, about 35,000 people visit the summer solstice festival.

• to find out what it was like for ancient people to drag giant stones to the construction site, an experiment was conducted. 24 strong people dragged a one-ton stone for a distance of one kilometer. This task took a whole day. According to estimates, it took a team of 1000 people and 300 years to build Stonehenge by hand;
• the builders of the megalithic structure calculated and laid the foundation so accurately that the structure is almost 100% protected from earthquakes and soil shrinkage;
• once Stonehenge was put up for auction. The resourceful owner of the land where the building stood wanted to sell the territory to a rich man abroad;
• the first time military exercises took place on the site of Stonehenge in 1898;
• in 1877, Charles Darwin came to the territory with an important project - to find out how earthworms live at the depth of places where a pair of trioliths fell. The scientist studied everything and wrote it down in a notebook;
• The Stonehenge Visitor Center came up with an interesting "chip" for tourists - the "Standing in the stones" attraction. Two adults and three children are placed in the virtual center of Stonehenge, and various epochs and seasons are shown in a circle on the screens. Thus, a complete feeling of presence in the heart of a megalithic structure is achieved.

Opening hours

You can walk around Stonehenge all year round, seven days a week. Visiting time depends on the season: from January 1 to mid-March from 9.30 to 17.00, from March 16 to the end of May from 9.30 to 19.00. In summer, there is more time - from 9 am to 8 pm, from September 1 to mid-October - from 9.30 to 19.00, from October 16 to December 31 - from 9.30 to 17.00.

It is impossible to replenish your strength on the territory of the structure, since there is no cafe here. However, there is a small diner nearby. Usually the tour lasts 5 hours, and most of the time it's a walk between the rocks, so it's better to take some food with you. The legendary trails near the stone blocks can be walked in 40 minutes.

Ticket prices

To enter, you can buy tickets online in advance on the English Heritage website. Click here for opening times and prices. The ticket price for an adult will cost 14.9 pounds, for a child 5-15 years old - 8.9 pounds, for families (two parents and three children) - 38.7 pounds. Tickets can also be bought at the box office at the entrance, but it will be more expensive.

Traveling from London to Salisbury by bus will cost about 17 pounds, but the cost depends on a couple of factors - the season, the type of bus, so the price may be higher. From Salisbury to Stonehenge, a regular transport costs £10.

Stonehenge (UK) - the most detailed information about the sights with photos and videos. History of Stonehenge and location on the map.

Stonehenge (UK)

Stonehenge is one of the most famous landmarks in Great Britain, which is a grandiose archaeological site of the Neolithic era. This ancient megalithic structure was built between 3000 and 1500 BC. and included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The mysterious Stonehenge consists of huge boulders called menhirs or megaliths. Its exact purpose is still unknown. Although archaeologists are inclined to conclude that Stonehenge is either an ancient cemetery or a structure of ancient astronomers to predict cosmic phenomena.

Story

The area around Stonehenge has been inhabited for 10,000 years. Although its construction began in 3000 B.C. and was probably completed in 1500 B.C. The exact translation of the Old English name of this object (Stanhengues) is unknown. In the Middle Ages, it was interpreted as "hanging stones". The modern name Stonehenge is translated as "stone circle".

The Stonehenge landscape is one of the best preserved chalk (limestone) lowlands in the UK. This archaeological site is located on the edge of the Salisbury Plain, surrounded by low hills and dry river valleys.

The history of Stonehenge can be divided into four stages:

1. 3100 BC - Stonehenge is a large earthen structure, which consisted of a round moat and holes (pits) in limestone rock. Excavations have revealed cremated human bones in some of the holes, but they themselves were probably not made for burials, but as part of a religious ceremony. Soon after, Stonehenge was abandoned for almost a thousand years.
2. Around 2150 B.C. - Stonehenge takes on modern features. 84 bluestones were brought from South Wales. Each stone had a weight of 2 to 5 tons. They were transported by water along the south coast of Wales and up the rivers to Salisbury. The delivery distance was 250 - 300 km. These stones were set in the center to form an incomplete double circle. In the same period, earthworks were completed to expand it.
3. Around 2000 BC - construction of an outer circle of sarsen stones, which were mined in North Wiltshire (about 30 km from Stonehenge). The largest of these stones weighs about 50 tons. It's incredible how they managed to get it here and install it.
4. After 1500 BC - Completion of the construction of Stonehenge. The blue stones formed the horseshoe and circle that we see today.

Many blue stones and sarsens were removed/damaged during the period of the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages. The first excavations at the site of Stonehenge began in the 16th century. In 1874–1877, the first exact plan for the location of the stones was made. Modern scientific archaeological research was carried out in 1901.

Description of Stonehenge

Stonehenge is a grandiose stone megalithic structure, which consists of 30 sarsen stones (sandstone) and 64 blue stones. These stones formed the shape of a horseshoe and an outer circle (ring).

• 1 - altar
• 2-3 - mounds
• 4 - scaffold or fallen stone
• 5 - Heel stone
• 7 - earth moat
• 8 - inner shaft
• 9 - outer shaft
• 10 - ditches and ramparts that lead to the river Avon. They're called avenues.
• 11 - Y-wells
• 12 - Z-holes
• 13 - 56 holes forming a circle
• 14 - south entrance

• It is estimated that more than thirty million hours of labor went into the construction of Stonehenge.
• Scientists still have only theories about the transportation of stones. Sarsen stones weighed an average of 25 tons. They were mined 30 km from Stonehenge. Blue stones were mined in South Wales, 300 km from the site. Their weight varied from 2 to 5 tons.
• Since the Middle Ages and for centuries, Stonehenge has been privately owned. In 1915 it was sold at auction to the government.
• In 1877 naturalist Charles Darwin traveled to Stonehenge to study earthworms.
• Stonehenge is not the only such object in Britain. The largest megalithic structure is located in Avebury, 40 km.

Stonehenge is a huge stone mystery in the heart of Europe. Where is Stonehenge located? Any person can answer this question, because almost all people know about it.

The existing information about the megalith (about its origin and purpose) still does not answer the question of how people could design and build such a structure four thousand years ago. An ancient observatory, a landing pad for alien creatures, a portal to another world or a pagan tomb - all this is Stonehenge (England). For many centuries, the best minds of mankind have been struggling to solve it. And much remains unknown...

Stonehenge is also called cromlech - this is the oldest structure of vertical stones lined up in a circle. They can form one or more circles.

Where is Stonehenge

This building is in a field located 13 kilometers from the small village of Salisbury. "Stone fence" - this is how the name Stonehenge is translated. London is located 130 kilometers to the southwest. The territory belongs to the administrative district of Wiltshire. It consists of a circle around which there are 56 small burial "holes" of Aubrey (named after a 17th century explorer). The most famous version is that lunar eclipses could be calculated from them. Later they began to bury the cremated remains of people. In Europe, wood has always been associated with life, and stone with death.

The structure of Stonehenge

In the center is the so-called altar (a six-ton ​​green sandstone monolith). In the northeast - a seven-meter Heel Stone. There is also the Block Stone, so named for the color of the iron oxides protruding on it. The next two rings are made up of large hard blocks of blue color (siliceous sandstone). The construction is completed by an annular colonnade with horizontal slabs lying on top.

In general, the building consists of:

82 megaliths weighing 5 tons;

30 blocks, each 25 tons;

5 triliths of 50 tons each.

All of them form arches with the most precise indication of the cardinal points. It was not for nothing that the ancient Britons called this place the "Round Dance of the Giants".

The boulders that were used in the megalith have different origins. Stone structures (triliths or megaliths) and individual stones of rough processing (menhirs) consist of gray calcareous sandstone and limestone. There are volcanic lava, tuff and dolerite. Part of the blocks could come from a site located 210 kilometers away. They could be delivered both by land (on skating rinks) and by water. In our time, an experiment was conducted that showed that a group of 24 people could move a stone weighing one ton at a speed of one kilometer per day. The weight of the largest blocks reaches 50 tons. Ancient builders could transport such a block for several years.

Stones were processed in several stages. By mechanical means and by the method of exposure to fire and water, the necessary blocks were prepared for transportation. And already on the spot more fine grinding and processing was carried out.

Stonehenge - history and legends of antiquity

According to legend, the megalith appeared thanks to the legendary mentor of King Arthur. He brought some stone blocks from South Wales, where there has long been an accumulation of sacred springs. In fact, the road to the place where Stonehenge is located was very difficult. The nearest quarries with rock are at a great distance, and one can imagine how titanic the efforts for the most difficult transportation were. The closest thing was to deliver them by sea, and from there 80 kilometers by land by dragging.

The huge Heel Stone gave birth to another story - about a monk hiding from the devil in the boulders. So that he did not have time to hide, the devil threw a stone at him and crushed his heel.

All these legends of the ancient Stonehenge, most likely, have little to do with reality. Today, more detailed studies prove that the construction was carried out in three stages from 2300 to 1900 BC. It functioned for about 2.5 thousand years and was abandoned around 1100 BC. And the characters of British history lived much later.

Who built Stonehenge

There are many nations claiming to build this megalith, from the ancient Romans to the Swiss or Germans. Until now, it was believed that it was built in the second millennium BC as an ancient observatory. The famous astronomer Hoyle found out that the ancient creators already knew the exact orbital period of the Moon and the length of the solar year.

In 1998, astronomers came to the rescue. With his help, they came to the conclusion that this is not only a lunar and solar calendar, but also in a cross section. Moreover, there should be not 9 planets, as is currently known, but 12. Perhaps in the future we will have more discoveries related to the composition of the solar system.

The English historian Brooks, who has been exploring Stonehenge for many years, proved that it is part of a giant navigation system.

In addition to its astronomical function, Stonehenge was also used as a ritual structure. This is evidenced by a large number of cemeteries and other ritual sites in the vicinity. And some researchers put forward a theory about the tomb of the pagan queen Boudica. This fearless woman did not want to surrender to the Romans and chose to take poison. Although there have never been human burials at Stonehenge. For all the time, only one remains of an archer was found in a moat, dated to the 7th century BC.

This land has always been considered sacred, because at all times tourists and natives have tried to break off and take a piece with them as an amulet. A hundred years ago, local residents even had a kind of business - to rent hammers to beat off a piece for themselves as a keepsake or to stamp their name on a boulder. Now a tourist cannot even touch the megalith with his hand, asphalt paths are specially laid at some distance from the boulders.

Druid Sanctuary

There is a hypothesis that this is the place of power of the druids (at the intersection of energy lines), allowing them to conduct the most serious rituals to unite with the forces of nature. The orientation of the monument to the solstice is another argument in this favor. Since this isolated tribe did not leave behind any written evidence, the purpose of Stonehenge has remained a great mystery.

New Druids consider it a place of their pilgrimage, and representatives of other pagan movements like to visit this area. In the days of winter and huge crowds of druid worshipers meet their main deity. The rays of the sun, which has reached the zenith, fall exactly between the vertical stones of the largest trilith, and together with the sun's rays, people are enlightened. And it often happens that the weather is cloudy around, but the sun is shining inside.

The grandeur of Stonehenge

Another feature of Stonehenge is its high seismic resistance. During construction, special plates were used to dampen and soften shocks. At the same time, there is almost no subsidence of the soil, which is inevitable in modern construction.

One thing is for sure: whoever the mysterious builders were, they possessed colossal knowledge in mathematics, geology, astronomy and architecture. And if we take into account that such structures were erected then all over the world (the pyramids of Egypt, and then we can safely say that modern people simply do not know a lot about their past. According to calculations, if today Stonehenge is rebuilt with the tools of that time, it will take 2 million people It would take 20 million hours to manually carve the stones, so the reason why people worked on it for so long must really be very significant.

How to get there? Stonehenge on the map

By private car, tourists get on the A303 and M3 road, which leads to Amesbury. Comfortable trains run from the station to Waterloo to Salisbury and Andover, and from there you can get there by bus.

In London, you can purchase a one-day group tour, which already includes an entrance ticket. The same bus runs from Salisbury, picking up tourists from the railway station. The ticket can be used throughout the day, and buses leave every hour.

How to get to the center of Stonehenge, bypassing the bans?

According to the rules, it is forbidden to come close and walk inside Stonehenge (tourists cannot come closer than 15 meters), but some tour operators make indulgence and allow a walk, but only early in the morning or late in the evening. Such groups usually have a limited number of participants, so it is advisable to book places in advance. However, the weather must be good. The historical monument is carefully guarded to avoid damage to the ground, so you will not be able to get inside Stonehenge in case of rain.

This building is not in vain included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Someone considers it a poorly preserved pile of stones, while someone dreams of just touching it and strives for this all their lives. Nevertheless, the mystical secret of Stonehenge has always existed, and to this is added admiration for the power of the human mind and perseverance, which made it possible to build this miracle.