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Stonehenge

Man has

always been interested in mystery. Stonehenge is one of the

most mysterious places that man has been interested in.

Construction began on Stonehenge at about 2200 B.C. (

Abels 9 ). The origin and uses of Stonehenge are still a

great mystery. Stonehenge is a ruin of a stone building.

Stonehenge is the oldest pre-historic structure in western

Europe. The name "Stonehenge" is Saxon in origin and

means hanging stones. Stonehenge is visible from around

one to two miles ( Chippindale 12 ). It has a plain structure

and at first glance Stonehenge appears to be a large pile of

rocks. But when looked at more closely, it is a structure of

great mystery. ( Abels 5 ). Stonehenge contains close to

one hundred and sixty-five stones. All of the stones are

arranged in a plain and simple manner. Stonehenge is not

very large. It is only about thirty five paces or eighty feet

wide. Stonehenge is three hundred and thirty feet above

sea level and is eighty miles west of London. Stonehenge is

located in Wiltshire in south central England. The closest

town to Stonehenge is Amesbury. It is in the center of

Salisbury Plains ( Chippindale 10 ). The pillars at

Stonehenge are extraordinary. All of the stones appear

gray in color, but their natural colors vary from mostly

orange to brown or blue. Many lichens grow all over the

stones. About one half of the original stone pillars are

missing today. All of the joints that join the stone pillars

together are dry stone joints. There was no wet sand or

clay used to join the pillars together ( Chippindale 12 ). 2

At Stonehenge there are five different types of stone

circles. The five types are: outer sarsen circle, outer

bluestone circles, inner sarsen trilithons, inner blue

horseshoe, and the altar stone. The outer sarsen circle is

one hundred feet in diameter. Each stone is about thirteen

and a half feet tall and seven feet wide. The space...