The jewel in Europe that is also considered as the eight wonder of the world is truly a remarkable structure. Held together by nothing but joints, the Stonehenge is a perfect symbol of balance. Over the years there have been multiple finding regarding the exact purpose of the site. Various assumptions such as graveyard, water storage and calendar are among some of the conclusions that still need to be proved completely. Spanning over many years and decades there have been six major eras of construction and different unique tribes were given responsibility when they came into power. However the use that is mostly related with its construction is that it was used to mark the movements of the moon and the sun. There are no written transcripts or readings left behind by the tribes responsible but we do know that it was truly a feat that is worth the appreciation from the mankind.
Stonehenge
History and Background
One of the most mysterious and beautiful wonders of the world is located in England's town Wiltshire which is around 2 miles away of the city Amesbury spread out in a wide open field and is called the Stonehenge, it is a large circular grassy area filled with randomly placed huge rocks with an estimated number of 150 to 200 huge stones stacked over one another. The time and the era in which they might have been erected is still argues upon. Archaeologists suggest that it could have been built between 3000- 2000 BC (Ioannides, 2012). Some studies suggest after applying carbon dating, that the structure could have been erected between 2400-2000 BC. Hence, the time period of the erection is one of the most debatable topics, but another thing that is even more controversial is the use of these stones, the exact purpose that it was built for. To date, this remains as one of the most controversial topics. Different people from different research backgrounds have different opinion on deciding about what the exact purpose of this structure was. Scientists have decided that the Stonehenge was built in six different installments and these phases had gaps of hundreds of years and are still undergoing changes (English-heritage.org.uk, 2014.
Uses
Multiple uses have been suggested by scientists and researchers. In 2008 the results of a study and evidence found from the Stonehenge site suggested that the site could have been a burial ground since the deposits at the site contained cremated human bone. Since this is one of the findings, some suggest that this place had a religious significance and acted as a site for pilgrimage (Math.nus.edu.sg, 2014).
Sun and the Stars
Scientists have proposed that the main purpose of these huge stones must have been more than just a burial place or a spiritual site. They suggest that it could have been used as a calendar since the stones are in perfect alignment with the rays of the sun and the orbit of the moon. For the pre-historic man the days were measured by the solar and lunar ...
