06-22-2009, 03:24 AM
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument
Monument
http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Stonehenge
A monument is a type of structure either explicitly created to commemorate a person or important event or which has become important to a social group as a part of their remembrance of past events....
located in the English
England
native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
county of Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a Ceremonial counties of England in the South West England of England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire....
, about west of Amesbury
Amesbury
Amesbury is a town and civil parish in the England county of Wiltshire, eight miles north of Salisbury, Wiltshire. It is most famous for the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge which is in its parish, and for the discovery of the Amesbury Archer ? dubbed the King of Stonehenge in the press ? in 2002....
and north of Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a city status in the United Kingdom in Wiltshire, England. The city forms the largest part of the Salisbury . It has also been called New Sarum to distinguish it from the original site of settlement at Salisbury, Old Sarum, but this alternative name is not in common use....
. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of earthworks
Earthworks (archaeology)
In archaeology, earthworks are artificial changes in land level often known as 'lumps and bumps'. They can themselves be Feature s or they can show features beneath the surface....
surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones and sits at the centre of the densest complex of Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic period was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 Before the Christian Era in the Middle East that is traditionally considered the last part of the Stone Age....
and Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is, with respect to a given prehistory, the period in that society when the most advanced metalworking included smelting copper and tin from naturally-occurring outcroppings of copper and tin ores, creating a bronze alloy by melting those metals together, and casting them into bronze artifact s....
monuments in England, including several hundred burial mounds
Tumulus
A tumulus is a mound of Soil and Rock s raised over a Grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, H?gelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world....
. Archaeologists
Archaeology
Archaeology, archeology, or arch?ology is the science that studies Homo cultures through the recovery, documentation, analysis, and interpretation of material remains and environmental data, including architecture, Artifact , features, Biofact s, and cultural landscape....
had believed that the iconic stone monument was erected around 2500 BC, as described in the chronology below. However one recent theory has suggested that the first stones were not erected until 2400-2200 BC, whilst another suggests that bluestones may have been erected at the site as early as 3000 BC (see phase 1 below). The surrounding circular earth bank and ditch, which constitute the earliest phase of the monument, have been dated to about 3100 BC. The site and its surroundings
Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites
Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Wiltshire, England. The WHS covers two large areas of land separated by nearly 30 miles, rather than a specific monument or building....
were added to the UNESCO
UNESCO
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on 16 November 1945....
's list of World Heritage Sites in 1986 in a co-listing with Avebury
Avebury
Avebury is the site of a large henge and several stone circles in the England county of Wiltshire surrounding the village of Avebury . It is one of the finest and largest Neolithic monuments in Europe dating to around 5,000 years ago....
henge monument
Henge monument
Archaeologists use the term henge monument to describe a site where a henge is combined with other features such as stone circles, standing stones, tumuluss, cairns or timber circles....
, and it is also a legally protected Scheduled Ancient Monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change....
. Stonehenge itself is owned by the Crown
The Crown
Throughout the Commonwealth realms, the Crown is an abstract metonymy concept which represents the legal authority for the existence of any government....
and managed by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage is a non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom government with a broad remit of managing the historic built environment of England....
while the surrounding land is owned by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organization in England, Wales and Northern Ireland....
.
New archaeological evidence found by the Stonehenge Riverside Project
Stonehenge Riverside Project
The Stonehenge Riverside Project is a major AHRC-funded archaeological research study interested in the development of the Stonehenge landscape in Neolithic and Bronze Age Britain....
indicates that Stonehenge served as a burial ground from its earliest beginnings. The dating of cremated remains found that burials took place as early as 3000 B.C, when the first ditches were being built around the monument. Burials continued at Stonehenge for at least another 500 years when the giant stones which mark the landmark were put up. According to Professor Mike Parker Pearson
Mike Parker Pearson
Mike Parker Pearson is a professor in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Sheffield in England. His books include The Archaeology of Death and Burial, Bronze Age Britain, Architecture and Order and "In Search of the Red Slave" ....
, head of Stonehenge Riverside Project:
Etymology
Christopher Chippindale
Christopher Chippindale
Christopher Chippindale is a United Kingdom archaeologist, best-known for his work on Stonehenge. He was educated at Sedbergh School, St. John's College, Cambridge, and Girton College, Cambridge, where he studied for his PhD....
's Stonehenge Complete gives the derivation of the name Stonehenge as coming from the Old English
Old English language
Old English is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written in parts of what are now England and south-eastern Scotland between the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century....
words "stan" meaning "stone", and either "hencg" meaning "hinge
Hinge
A hinge is a type of Bearing that connects two solid objects, typically allowing only a limited angle of rotation between them. Two objects connected by an ideal hinge rotate relative to each other about a fixed axis of rotation ....
" (because the stone lintels hinge on the upright stones) or "hen©en" meaning "hang" or "gallows
Gallows
A gallows is a frame, typically wooden, used for execution by hanging.A gallows can take several forms.*the simplest form resembles an inverted "L", with a single upright and a horizontal beam to which the rope noose would be attached....
" or "instrument of torture". Medieval gallows consisted of two uprights with a lintel joining them, resembling Stonehenge's trilithon
Trilithon
A trilithon is a structure consisting of two large vertical stones supporting a third stone set horizontally across the top . Commonly used in the context of megalithic monuments....
s, rather than looking like the inverted L-shape more familiar today.
The "henge" portion has given its name to a class of monuments known as henge
Henge
A henge is a Prehistory architectural structure. In form, it is a nearly circular or oval-shaped flat area over 20 metres in diameter that is enclosed and delimited by a boundary Earthworks that usually comprises a ditch with an external bank....
s. Archaeologists define henges as earthworks consisting of a circular banked enclosure with an internal ditch. As often happens in archaeological terminology, this is a holdover from antiquarian
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado of antiquities or things of the past. Also, and most often in modern usage, an antiquarian is a person who deals with or collects rare and ancient "Antiquarian book trade in the United States"....
usage, and Stonehenge is not truly a henge site as its bank is inside its ditch. Despite being contemporary with true Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic period was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 Before the Christian Era in the Middle East that is traditionally considered the last part of the Stone Age....
henges and stone circle
Stone circle
A stone circle is an ancient monument. Such a monument is not always precisely circular and often forms an ellipse, or a setting of four stones laid on an arc of a circle....
s, Stonehenge is in many ways atypical. For example, its extant trilithons make it unique. Stonehenge is only distantly related to the other stone circles in the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include Great Britain and Ireland, and numerous smaller islands....
, such as the Ring of Brodgar
Ring of Brodgar
The Ring of Brodgar is a Neolithic henge and stone circle in Mainland, Orkney, Scotland. The ring of stones stands on a small isthmus between the Loch of Stenness and Harray....
.
Monument
http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Stonehenge
A monument is a type of structure either explicitly created to commemorate a person or important event or which has become important to a social group as a part of their remembrance of past events....
located in the English
England
native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
county of Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a Ceremonial counties of England in the South West England of England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire....
, about west of Amesbury
Amesbury
Amesbury is a town and civil parish in the England county of Wiltshire, eight miles north of Salisbury, Wiltshire. It is most famous for the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge which is in its parish, and for the discovery of the Amesbury Archer ? dubbed the King of Stonehenge in the press ? in 2002....
and north of Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a city status in the United Kingdom in Wiltshire, England. The city forms the largest part of the Salisbury . It has also been called New Sarum to distinguish it from the original site of settlement at Salisbury, Old Sarum, but this alternative name is not in common use....
. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of earthworks
Earthworks (archaeology)
In archaeology, earthworks are artificial changes in land level often known as 'lumps and bumps'. They can themselves be Feature s or they can show features beneath the surface....
surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones and sits at the centre of the densest complex of Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic period was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 Before the Christian Era in the Middle East that is traditionally considered the last part of the Stone Age....
and Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is, with respect to a given prehistory, the period in that society when the most advanced metalworking included smelting copper and tin from naturally-occurring outcroppings of copper and tin ores, creating a bronze alloy by melting those metals together, and casting them into bronze artifact s....
monuments in England, including several hundred burial mounds
Tumulus
A tumulus is a mound of Soil and Rock s raised over a Grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, H?gelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world....
. Archaeologists
Archaeology
Archaeology, archeology, or arch?ology is the science that studies Homo cultures through the recovery, documentation, analysis, and interpretation of material remains and environmental data, including architecture, Artifact , features, Biofact s, and cultural landscape....
had believed that the iconic stone monument was erected around 2500 BC, as described in the chronology below. However one recent theory has suggested that the first stones were not erected until 2400-2200 BC, whilst another suggests that bluestones may have been erected at the site as early as 3000 BC (see phase 1 below). The surrounding circular earth bank and ditch, which constitute the earliest phase of the monument, have been dated to about 3100 BC. The site and its surroundings
Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites
Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Wiltshire, England. The WHS covers two large areas of land separated by nearly 30 miles, rather than a specific monument or building....
were added to the UNESCO
UNESCO
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on 16 November 1945....
's list of World Heritage Sites in 1986 in a co-listing with Avebury
Avebury
Avebury is the site of a large henge and several stone circles in the England county of Wiltshire surrounding the village of Avebury . It is one of the finest and largest Neolithic monuments in Europe dating to around 5,000 years ago....
henge monument
Henge monument
Archaeologists use the term henge monument to describe a site where a henge is combined with other features such as stone circles, standing stones, tumuluss, cairns or timber circles....
, and it is also a legally protected Scheduled Ancient Monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change....
. Stonehenge itself is owned by the Crown
The Crown
Throughout the Commonwealth realms, the Crown is an abstract metonymy concept which represents the legal authority for the existence of any government....
and managed by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage is a non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom government with a broad remit of managing the historic built environment of England....
while the surrounding land is owned by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organization in England, Wales and Northern Ireland....
.
New archaeological evidence found by the Stonehenge Riverside Project
Stonehenge Riverside Project
The Stonehenge Riverside Project is a major AHRC-funded archaeological research study interested in the development of the Stonehenge landscape in Neolithic and Bronze Age Britain....
indicates that Stonehenge served as a burial ground from its earliest beginnings. The dating of cremated remains found that burials took place as early as 3000 B.C, when the first ditches were being built around the monument. Burials continued at Stonehenge for at least another 500 years when the giant stones which mark the landmark were put up. According to Professor Mike Parker Pearson
Mike Parker Pearson
Mike Parker Pearson is a professor in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Sheffield in England. His books include The Archaeology of Death and Burial, Bronze Age Britain, Architecture and Order and "In Search of the Red Slave" ....
, head of Stonehenge Riverside Project:
Etymology
Christopher Chippindale
Christopher Chippindale
Christopher Chippindale is a United Kingdom archaeologist, best-known for his work on Stonehenge. He was educated at Sedbergh School, St. John's College, Cambridge, and Girton College, Cambridge, where he studied for his PhD....
's Stonehenge Complete gives the derivation of the name Stonehenge as coming from the Old English
Old English language
Old English is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written in parts of what are now England and south-eastern Scotland between the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century....
words "stan" meaning "stone", and either "hencg" meaning "hinge
Hinge
A hinge is a type of Bearing that connects two solid objects, typically allowing only a limited angle of rotation between them. Two objects connected by an ideal hinge rotate relative to each other about a fixed axis of rotation ....
" (because the stone lintels hinge on the upright stones) or "hen©en" meaning "hang" or "gallows
Gallows
A gallows is a frame, typically wooden, used for execution by hanging.A gallows can take several forms.*the simplest form resembles an inverted "L", with a single upright and a horizontal beam to which the rope noose would be attached....
" or "instrument of torture". Medieval gallows consisted of two uprights with a lintel joining them, resembling Stonehenge's trilithon
Trilithon
A trilithon is a structure consisting of two large vertical stones supporting a third stone set horizontally across the top . Commonly used in the context of megalithic monuments....
s, rather than looking like the inverted L-shape more familiar today.
The "henge" portion has given its name to a class of monuments known as henge
Henge
A henge is a Prehistory architectural structure. In form, it is a nearly circular or oval-shaped flat area over 20 metres in diameter that is enclosed and delimited by a boundary Earthworks that usually comprises a ditch with an external bank....
s. Archaeologists define henges as earthworks consisting of a circular banked enclosure with an internal ditch. As often happens in archaeological terminology, this is a holdover from antiquarian
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado of antiquities or things of the past. Also, and most often in modern usage, an antiquarian is a person who deals with or collects rare and ancient "Antiquarian book trade in the United States"....
usage, and Stonehenge is not truly a henge site as its bank is inside its ditch. Despite being contemporary with true Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic period was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 Before the Christian Era in the Middle East that is traditionally considered the last part of the Stone Age....
henges and stone circle
Stone circle
A stone circle is an ancient monument. Such a monument is not always precisely circular and often forms an ellipse, or a setting of four stones laid on an arc of a circle....
s, Stonehenge is in many ways atypical. For example, its extant trilithons make it unique. Stonehenge is only distantly related to the other stone circles in the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include Great Britain and Ireland, and numerous smaller islands....
, such as the Ring of Brodgar
Ring of Brodgar
The Ring of Brodgar is a Neolithic henge and stone circle in Mainland, Orkney, Scotland. The ring of stones stands on a small isthmus between the Loch of Stenness and Harray....
.