Heritage Sites, Mystery

9 Facts of Stonehenge, a Stone Monument Still Covered by Mystery

By Jillian on January 29, 2020 0 Comments

Who does not know the stone monument Stonehenge, a World Cultural Heritage site that still holds many unanswered questions? Like the statue of Moai on Easter Island or the Egyptian pyramid, Stonehenge is a site that is always busy attracting tourists and scientists.

Besides, Stonehenge has been included in the list of 7 wonders of the world. You can even find it in casino slot machine games, which are also called 7 Wonders slot machine. If you are interested, you can play it at the best Agen Casino Online, and win jackpot prizes up to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The process of building up to the rock formation in Stonehenge has successfully confused many people. Not surprisingly, various kinds of theories and assumptions also often appear about the building that was built thousands of years ago.

Despite many theories and assumptions that have not been confirmed yet, several facts have been agreed by archeologists and scientists. So here are the facts:

1. The work of hunters from France

In a scientific journal published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), historians find that ancient megaliths scattered throughout the European continent did not purely stand on their own initiative.

In fact, the large stone structure was influenced by the work of hunters who lived in what is now Brittany in northwestern France. In other words, it is from Britanny that this tradition of building large stone structures in Europe, such as Stonehenge originated.

2. More advanced sea crossing technology

However, the big question is, how did the tradition of building megalithic structures get from France to England in the past?

Regarding this question, historians have found that ancient sea crossing technology was developing faster than previously thought. This is the main way hunters can build stone monuments in all corners of Europe.

“The spread of megalithic structures can take place quickly with different phases supported by the maritime skills, knowledge, and technology of these societies which must be much more developed than previously thought,” said Bettina Schulz Paulsson of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

3. Derived from 4500 BC

According to Schulz Paulsson, previously there was an idea that said, the tradition of building megaliths originated in the Middle East. However, after further study, apparently more and more megalith sites are found throughout the world, especially Europe.

Using radiocarbon dating technology from 2,410 prehistoric sites spread across Europe, historians also study architectural styles, tools and customary evidence found around the site.

After statistical figures to obtain an accurate timeline were obtained, historians then discovered that the birth of the megalith structure first occurred in northwestern France around 4,500 BC. The practice of building a megalith structure itself lasts for 200-300 years.

4. Route of deployment

Interestingly, from a series of data obtained from radiocarbon dating technology, historians also discovered the route of spreading the ancient megalith structure.

At first, ancient megalithic structures stood in Brittany, northwestern France. Later, the tradition spread along coastal routes in southern France. From there, the tradition crossed into England, the Mediterranean, Spain, Portugal, until finally reaching Scandinavia and other parts of Europe as well.

“The earliest megaliths originated in northwestern France and spread along the Mediterranean and Atlantic sea routes in three main successive phases,” explained Bettina Schulz Paulsson.

5. It is part of a larger sacred area.

Stonehenge is located in Salisbury Plain, England, a limestone plain which has an area of ​​777 km2. With such an area, Stonehenge is not the only historical monument there is. This is demonstrated by three large wooden skeletons that were erected 10,500 years ago, long before Stonehenge.

In addition, according to radar, there are several Neolithic temples that are still hidden in the area and show that Stonehenge is only a small part of a larger area.

6. Using two types of stone

There are two types of stones used to construct Stonehenge, namely large sandstone and small-sized bluestones. The sandstone can be found in the area around Stonehenge, about 32 km away.

Meanwhile, bluestones come from Preseli Hill, which is 225 km away from Stonehenge.

7. Need special expertise to build it

To ensure the stones at Stonehenge can stand up straight for thousands of years, special skills and techniques related to carpentry are needed.

Stonehenge was built by digging holes for the stones, laying poles and wooden frames to support them, before pulling the stones so they could stand up straight.

8. DNA can be used to find out who made Stonehenge

Long ago, the question of who built Stonehenge could not be solved.

However, recently, a group of scientists used DNA analysis to find out who built Stonehenge. According to the analysis, Stonehenge was built by farmers from the Aegean coast who migrated to England in 4,000 BC.

9. Closely related to astronomy

One of the famous facts of Stonehenge is that the location of the rocks will appear to be parallel to the sun during summer and winter solstices.

This was first discovered by English archeologist William Stukeley in 1720.

Since then, Stonehenge has also attracted the interest of many astronomers who estimate that Stonehenge was used to predict the timing of an eclipse.

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