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StonehengeStonehenge © Last Refuge/Robert Harding World Imagery/Corbis

Stonehenge

Wiltshire, UK. Neolithic Europe. c. 2500–1600 B.C.E. Sandstone and bluestone.

Curator Note

"A prehistoric monument consisting of a ring of standing stones. It is a masterpiece of engineering and was built in several stages over 1,500 years."

Form

  • Post-and-lintel construction (horizontal beams resting on vertical posts).
  • Mortise-and-tenon joints (lego-like pegs and holes) secure the lintels to the uprights.
  • Arranged in concentric circles and a central horseshoe shape.
  • Sarsen stones (sandstone) characterize the outer ring; smaller Bluestones (volcanic) form the inner ring.
  • Stones are tapered at the top to correct visual perspective (entasis-like effect).

Function

  • Solar calendar and astronomical observatory (the heel stone aligns with the summer solstice sunrise).
  • Burial site for elites (56 Aubrey holes contained cremation remains).
  • Ceremonial center for healing (bluestones believed to have curative powers) or pilgrimage.
  • A unifying monument bringing together people from across Britain for feasts and rituals.
  • Symbol of the ancestors and the permanence of the afterlife (stone = death/eternity).

Content

  • Outer ring of massive Sarsen stones topped with continuous lintels.
  • Inner horseshoe of 5 giant Trilithons (two posts, one lintel), growing in height towards the center.
  • Altar Stone (mica sandstone) lies flat at the center.
  • Heel Stone stands outside the circle, marking the sunrise point.
  • Lack of roof implies an open-air connection to the sky and celestial events.

Context

  • Built on the Salisbury Plain in England in three major phases over 1,500 years (3000–1500 B.C.E.).
  • The Bluestones were transported from the Preseli Hills in Wales (over 150 miles away), a massive logistical feat.
  • Associated with the nearby wooded site of Durrington Walls (wood = life, stone = death).
  • Reflects a highly organized Neolithic society with centralized leadership capable of mobilizing vast labor.
  • Construction stopped around 1600 B.C.E., coinciding with the rise of the Bronze Age and new religious shifts.