STONEHENGE

MEGALITHIC MONUMENTS
STONEHENGE
INTRODUCTION
We are going to talk about Stonehenge, probably the world’s most famous prehistoric
monument, so many of you may already know what this is but, for those who don’t, I’ll make a
brief resume before analyzing it in more detail.
Stonehenge is a cromlech-type megalithic monument that, was built between the end of the
Neolithic and the beginning of the Bronze Age and is located in England. This monument stands
out for the enormous size of its stones.
There has always been much speculation about its original use. The purpose of the
construction of this great monument is unknown, but it is assumed that it was used as an
astronomical observatory that was used to predict the seasons. But this connexion with
astronomy will be explained later.
Despite this, many claim that Stonehenge appears to have been associated with burial from
the earliest period of its existence.
LOCATION
As said before it is located in England, near Salisbury. Town, where you can visit a Gothic
cathedral, and is about two hours from London. Currently, to visit Stonehenge you must go to
the new Visitor Center located a kilometer and a half from the megalithic monument.
Talking about its location an interesting fact could be that before Stonehenge, the oldest
structures known are four or five pits. Of them, three appear to have supported totem-shaped
pine poles, between 8500 and 7000 BC (Mesolithic period). Salisbury Plain was then still
wooded, but 4,000 years later, during the earlier Neolithic, people built a causewayed
enclosure at Robin Hood's Ball, and long barrow-type tombs in the surrounding landscape.
DATE OF CONSTRUCTION
Although it may not seem like it, Stonehenge is made up of 100 stones. Stones, of different
sizes, arranged in circles.
Construction began 5,000 years ago, but it occurred in stages. The first monument was an early
Henge monument. Then, the stone circle was established in the late Neolithic. At the beginning
of the Bronze Age many burial mounds were built. During this stage the position of the rocks
changed, giving it its current shape.
Another great curiosity about Stonehenge is that we do not know exactly how the stones got
there, although it is known that the Bluestones came from the Preseli Hills in southwest Wales,
more than 250 kilometers away.
Animals were also found

MAESHOWE
LOCATION AND LANDSCAPE
It is a large Neolithic chambered cairn, a passage grave, dating from between 3000-2800 BCE,
in the Stenness parish of Orkney, Scotland.
Maeshowe is located in proximity to many other famous Neolithic sites in Orkney such as
the Barnhouse Settlement and Barnhouse Stone, The Standing Stones of Stenness, The Ness of
Brodgar, The Ring of Brodgar, The Watchstone, Cometstone, and The Unstan Cairn and, to the
north-west, The Ring of Bookan and the village of Skara Brae.
TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION
Maeshowe is considered one of the finest examples of Neolithic architecture and has given its
name to similarly constructed tombs stretching from Papa Westray and Sanday islands in the
north down through mainland Orkney. The cairn was declared a World Heritage site in 1999
and is presently under the care of Historic Scotland.
This monumental chambered tomb, was built around 5,000 years ago, it is a masterpiece of
Neolithic design and construction. We must take into account the fact that metal tools or
powered machinery, as well as the other megalithic monuments.
Everything was built on a grand scale:
 each wall of the 10m-long passage is formed mostly of a single, gigantic sandstone slab
up to three tonnes in weight.
 at each corner of the central chamber is a magnificent upright standing stone
 the floors, back walls and ceilings of the three side cells (off the central chamber) are
each made of single stone slabs.
MAIN FEATURES AND POSSIBLE FUNCTIONS
It is believed that Maes Howe was used primarily as a repository for bones, although few of
them were found in excavations carried out in 1861. Some researchers think that the
alignment of its stones also served as a calendar.
THE CULTURE BEHIND IT

STONEHENGE

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STONEHENGE

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MEGALITHIC MONUMENTS

Animals were also found

LOCATION AND LANDSCAPE

Everything was built on a grand scale:

MAIN FEATURES AND POSSIBLE FUNCTIONS

THE CULTURE BEHIND IT

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