Stonehenge Facts
Stonehenge Facts
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| Interesting Stonehenge Facts: |
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| Stonehenge is in the center of a large number of Bronze Age and Neolithic monuments. There are also several hundred burial mounds in the area and land surrounding Stonehenge. |
| The land around Stonehenge is owned by the National Trust. The Stonehenge monument itself is managed by English Heritage and owned by the Crown. |
| Stonehenge holds great religious significance for Neo-Druidry. In 1905 there was a mass initiation of Druids held by the Ancient Order of Druids at Stonehenge. They were said to have worn white robes and fake beards during the initiation. Any ritual use is now restricted. As a result, Druids have erected Stonehenge-type monuments in other places around the world. |
| In 2008 archaeological evidence was uncovered that suggests Stonehenge may have been a burial site even before Stonehenge itself was built. |
| Those who built Stonehenge had to have been extremely sophisticated in mathematics and geometry. It was aligned with the midwinter sunset and the midsummer sunset. It was also aligned with the most northerly setting and most southerly rising of the moon. |
| Two types of stone were used to build Stonehenge. They used Sarsen stones that weighed 25 tons and were about 18 feet tall. |
| They also used bluestones. These were brought from about 240 miles away and weighed up to four tons. Bluestones are a type of volcanic rock. It is only found in certain places and this is why it has been determined that it came from the area 240 miles away. This was the closest place to Stonehenge where it could be found. |
| It took at least 30 million hours of labor to build and some say it took approximately 1500 years. |
| Stonehenge is the most well-known of over 900 stone ring monuments in the British Isles. |
| Opinions differ on whether Stonehenge was built for ritual activities or whether it was built as an astronomical observatory. |
| Some people believe that aliens built Stonehenge but there has not been any proof of this theory. Stonehenge is often referred to when people discuss crop circles. |
| Some of the more common theories about Stonehenge include: it was a religious place to worship; it was used for human sacrifice; it was a place of burial and cremation. |
| It's difficult to come to a definite conclusion about Stonehenge because more than half the stones are believed to be missing and many have fallen over. |
| Some believe that the tall stones are actually grave markers. |
| Some people believe that Stonehenge is actually a giant clock. |
| Stonehenge was built at least 300 years before the Egyptians built the pyramids. |
| Visitors to Stonehenge used to be able to touch the stones but most of the time today they are roped off. |
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