Who Built Stonehenge?
• Quite a few theories on
who built Stonehenge.
• John Aubrey thought
that The Druids built
Stonehenge.
• His theory wasn’t
correct
• Still a mystery
What Is The Purpose Of Stonehenge?
• Nobody knows the real
purpose-used later on for
burials.
• Geoffrey of Monmouth, 12th
century writer, wrote a
theory on why Stonehenge
was built.
• Memorial for murdered
noblemen
• King and Merlin led
expedition to Ireland to
transport Giant’s Ring stone
circle to Britain.
• Giant’s Ring originally
brought from Africa for
healing powers.
• Brought from Africa to
Ireland by Giants.
• Britons were unsuccessful
moving the stones.
• Merlin used magic to move
stones.
• Stones were moved to
Britain to be assembled for
the memorial of the
murdered noblemen.
More Theories
• Mike Parker Pearson,
head of Stonehenge
Riverside Project, thought
that Durrington Walls
Henge was a place for the
living, Stonehenge was a
place for the dead.
• Folk tale: Devil bought
stones from Irish lady. He
placed them on Salisbury
Plain. Goal: Nobody
would know who or what
put the stones there.
Construction of Stonehenge
• Required a lot of time,
commitment, and
manual labor.
• Constructed into 3
sections: Stonehenge
phase 1, Stonehenge
phase 2, Stonehenge
phase 3.
• Some argue that
Stonehenge phase 3
had 5 stages itself.
Stonehenge Phase One
• Bank and ditch arrangement
called a henge. Constructed
5,000 years ago.
• Ditch was continuous but
dug in sections with deer
antlers.
• Circle is 320 ft. in diameter;
ditch itself was 20 ft. wide
and 7 ft. deep.
• Builders might have buried
picks after this stage.
• Used rubble to build steep
bank circle. Dug 56 shallow
holes, Aubrey Holes
• 2 parallel stones erected at
entrance.
• Used for 500 years and
abandoned.
Stonehenge Phase 2
• Bluestones were
assembled within original
bank & ditch circles.
• 2 interesting things:
bluestones came from
Preseli Mts.-250 miles
away.
• 80 Stones each weighing
4 tons.
• Entrance of Bluestones is
aligned with midsummer
sunrise.
• Phase left abandoned
unfinished, small stones
removed & holes filled.
Stonehenge Phase 3 Part 1
• Phase 3 is seen today.
• Circle of upright sarsen
stones, each pair with a
stone on top.
• Originally 30 stones, only
17 now.
• Stones came from a town
20 miles away, 7 ft. tall &
weigh 50 tons each.
• Surface smoothed with
hammers.
• Formation of horseshoe
erected. Used 10 stones,
8 still there. Aligns with
summer solstice sunrise.
Stonehenge Phase 3 Part 2
• 100 yrs. Later, 20
bluestones came from
phase 2, placed inside
horseshoe.
• Alter Stone is the biggest
remaining stone.
• Images of dagger & 14
axe heads carved on
stones.
• Last known construction
was 1600 B.C.
• Last usage during Iron
Age.