What?

Basically a stone structure constructed more than 5000 years ago in Wiltshire, England. It consists of more than 60 stones built in the shape of a horse shoe and is said to be either a burial, worship or ritual site.

How?

There are so many questions! How was the Stonehenge built? How did those primitive inhabitants shift these stones (some weighing to more than 50 tonnes)?

Note: 50 tonnes is equivalent to 4 and a half full grown Asian elephants! =)

Well, to start off, was it man made, or was it built or formed through a rare natural occurrence?

Shot right down! Studies have shown that it’s impossible for these rocks to form in such a formation. Besides, these rocks have been proven to be from an area called Marlborough Downs in North Wiltshire located 30 km away from the Stonehenge site!

So that debunks the natural occurrence notion but leaves us with the question: how did these folks carry more than 60 rocks (some weighing 50,000 kg) across 30 km of country and stand them upright in their spot?

Transportation of stones

Experts say that firstly, the community back then may have built huge rafts (yes it boggles my mind) and transported it using the Avon River located 2km from the site. More than about 100 men were needed to move each 50-ton stone, with it resting on a sledge which rolled over tree trunks. It could also be that they decided to move it during winter which made it easier to transport the stones across the snow and ice. Ingenius!

Why?

Many believe that the Stonehenge was built in that specific area for a reason, since the inhabitants worked hard to transport those stones to that site.

Experts say that the Stonehenge was built there to celebrate the summer solstice when the Sun appears to rise and set at exactly the same places, since ancient civilisations saw this occurrence as a time to celebrate the forces which controlled the natural cycle of life, death and rebirth.

Others say that it was a meeting place for the leaders of tribes, place of worship or even a sacrificial site, since ancient headless skeletons were found buried in the Henge.

All in all, we can only make calculated guesses, but how the inhabitants of such a primitive age manage to build such a structure with such precise calculations of the summer solstice remains a mystery. There are no written records of the cultures which built them. Therefore, this will forever remain as...The Secret of the Stonehenge.

Videos, links and more!

Mystery of Society: National Geographic decodes the society which built of stonehenge.

For more information on Stonehenge, click on the link below!