Jesse Harasta - Historys Greatest Mysteries: Stonehenge

By Jesse Harasta and Charles River Editors

Looking up to the sky from the middle of Stonehenge

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Jesse Harasta graduated in 2009 from Syracuse University with a masters in Linguistic and Cultural Anthropology. Jesse is currently a doctoral student finishing his thesis, and he has had articles published in academic magazines and journals in both the United States and Great Britain.

Stonehenge during the Summer Solstice in 2005

Stonehenge

The interest that has always attached itself to Stonehenge has, without doubt, been in a great measure due to the mystery as to the origin of this unique monument of bygone time. H.P. Blackmore, 1916.

For centuries, professional historians have labored through the painstaking task of documenting history as accurately as possible, but even with modern technology, archaeology, and records, some questions have eluded attempts to answer them. From the origins of Atlantis to the Lost Colony of Roanoke, the mysteries behind some of historys most famous people and events have fascinated countless generations. In Charles River Editors Historys Greatest Mysteries series, readers can discover the known, the unknown, and the possible answers to historys most enduring questions in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known.

On the Salisbury Plain, only a few hours from the hustle and bustle of Central London, remains one of the greatest surviving relics of humanity's ancient past: the mighty stone circle of Stonehenge. Stonehenge is one of the most well-known ancient sites in the world, and an image of it raises numerous associations and emotional responses. Its impressiveness comes not only from its size and remarkable level of preservation, but more so because of the incredible precision with which it was constructed during an era of simple technology and social organization. Obviously, it is a place of great importancethen and now.

Despite it s placid, changeless appearance, Stonehenge has been a place of political, ideological and religious struggle for centuries. From the vigorous debates of 19th century theorists to the all-night dance parties of the 1980s, the history and legacy of Stonehenge is as much about the desires and fears of the people of modern Britain as it is about the ancients. Stonehenge has belonged to all of Britain's people since its construction began roughly 5,000 years ago, and they have all added to its unfolding story.

Of course, Stonehenge has long fascinated the rest of the world too, as people continue to try to understand every aspect of the site and the underlying purpose of it. This involves an understanding of why Stonehenge is located where it is, what the materials consist of, and what archaeology has uncovered about the people who built it. On top of that, Stonehenge is a center of mythology and folklore that has evolved over time, establishing the foundation for a unique spiritual belief system that both celebrates Stonehenge as a living temple and challenges the official guardians of the place.

Historys Greatest Mysteries: Stonehenge comprehensively covers the facts, mysteries, and theories surrounding the ancient megalith. Readers will understand Stonehenge from all dimensions: as a physical place, an object of scholarly study, a site of ecstatic worship, a must see world-class tourist destination and a simultaneous icon of both history and counterculture. Along with pictures and a bibliography, you will learn about Stonehenge like you never have before, in no time at all.

A 17 th century depiction of Stonehenge

Aubrey Holes : A series of postholes found around the outer edge of the Henge marking places where wooden poles once stood. They were named after the archaeologist John Aubrey, who is said to have discovered them.

Avenue : A pathway formed out of two embankments and accompanying standing stones that extends eastwards from Stonehenge. On the Summer Solstice, the sun rises along the Avenue. Today the Avenue is cut off from the Henge by route A344.

Axis : The alignment of Stonehenge's primary trilithons, the Avenue and the Heelstone along the line of sunrise/set on the summer and winter solstices.

Barrow : An artificial hill raised over a neolithic tomb. Found in great density around Stonehenge.

Bluestone : A non-local stone found within Stonehenge. They are smaller than the local sarsen stones.

Heelstone , The: A lone sarsen standing outside the main henge, but lying along the line of the Axis.

Henge : A circle of standing stones regardless of size.

Megalith : Any large (mega) stones (liths) used for the construction of monuments or buildings; especially used for ancient structures like Stonehenge.

Sarsen : A variety of hard local stones used to construct the primary ring and the trilithons of Stonehenge. The largest stones in the monument.

Trilithon : The central objects of Stonehenge, these are five sets of three sarsens: two uprights and one lintel. Arranged in a horseshoe around the Axis, they are the largest constructs at the site.

A layout of Stonehenge and its different physical characteristics, by Anthony Johnson

"Salisbury Cathedral and its neighbour Stonehenge are two eminent monuments of art and rudeness, and may show the first essay and the last perfection in architecture." A letter written by a Dr. Johnson in 1783.

While much is disputed about the history and future of Stonehenge, there is a universal understanding of exactly what it is: the most impressive megalithic monument in Britain and possibly the world. Moreover, there is an understanding that the Stonehenge we see today is not the product of a single designer, or even a single civilization, but instead a place of importance for centuries if not millennia.

Even before construction began at the site known as Stonehenge, the locals were busy nearby. Archaeology has found the existence of construction that involved wooden posts dating back to nearly 8000 B.C. The posts had an east-west alignment similar to sites of the same nature found in Scandinavia, but not in Britain itself.