Stonehenge: the great book of secrets... made of stone. Stonehenge - a mystery of nature or a creation of mankind

A mystery that is as old as the world itself - Stonehenge ... Stonehenge (Stonehenge, "stone henge") - mysterious building made of stone on the plains of England, in Salisbury, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

At first it was believed that Stonehenge was built by the Druids, but further research did not confirm this version, and the date of construction began to be attributed to 3020-2910 BC. e. The strange concentric stone circles that make up this structure are just traces of a shift archaeological eras... However, what remains of Stonehenge today is only a pale shadow of its former splendor ... Stonehenge originally looked like a circular moat, had two halls and was possibly a cemetery.

Along the outer shaft there are 56 small burial "Aubrey holes", and at the entrance to the ring there is a large Heel stone, 7 meters high. When Stonehenge2 was being completed, two more rings were erected from 80 huge boulders of blue color. These blocks were delivered from South Wales, as much as 320 km from the place of work. However, at the end of construction, these stones were replaced by a ring of huge, vertically standing stones, and on each of the two lay a transverse slab. Inside this ring, five blocks stood separately from each other. From century to century, the question arose - why and at whose direction Stonehenge was built? One legend says that it was built by the wizard Merlin, who was in the service of King Arthur, another legend tells that the same magician from Ireland from Mount Killaraus transferred Stonehenge by means of witchcraft ... Some sources attributed the construction of Stonehenge to the enemy of mankind - the devil, some people claimed that it was a temple dedicated to the god Knelus...

And in the 18th century, the orientation of Stonehenge to the solstice was discovered, which means that the druids would have built it ... Alas, but this is not at all the case! There is no need to equate our knowledge of the 21st century with the events that took place 5000 years ago, and it’s absolutely not worth attributing Stonehenge to the druids - this is just a beautiful legend, and has nothing to do with the druids ... The Celts, otherwise the druids, appeared in Britain somewhere in 500 BC when Stonehenge has been around for a long time!But that's what Stonehenge is similar to that ancient sky map that existed 4000 years ago, astronomer D. Hawkins proved in 1965. And already in 1998, the results of computer research shocked many scientists!Well, of course, who would not be surprised - after all, Stonehenge turned out to be an absolutely accurate model of our solar system in cross section! So our ancestors used their "observatory" and created their own calendar of lunar and solar eclipses, calculated the day of the summer solstice, sowing days and harvesting days.

It was also assumed that Stonehenge was built by those who built the Egyptian pyramids, i.e. - aliens ... And soon the first 10 buildings of a huge, by those standards, settlement of 1000 houses were excavated by archaeologists. The buildings were stone, or made of clay and wood with traces of hearths and flint tools scattered everywhere ... Scientists were even more surprised when it turned out that discos were organized in Stonehenge! Of course, as it turned out, there was someone to organize these discos, but for what purpose?! Maybe in this way people treated their ailments, maybe in this way the dead, to the music and dances, were escorted to another world ... However, another question torments scientists - how, nevertheless, the ancients, with their primitive tools, were able to build Stonehenge? Who helped them, then who are these mysterious helpers? Aliens, or giants, in whom our ancestors believed...

In his book, the famous British astronomer Peter Brown talks about an extraordinary science - astroarchaeology. The main part of the study is devoted to a detailed narrative about the phenomenon of the famous Stonehenge - the mysterious megalithic circles and earthen structures scattered everywhere on British Isles and in northwestern France. The author will introduce you to the intricacies of astronomical calculations, as well as various theories and hypotheses that are associated with prehistoric stone monuments.

STONEHENGE: EARLY DESCRIPTIONS AND HYPOTHESES

Among the ancient monuments of Britain, nothing can compare in its fame with Stonehenge. As a major tourist attraction, it is second only to the Tower of London. As an ancient monument, Stonehenge has never been discovered in the sense in which, for example, the ruins of Babylon were found. Its stones, the sullen gray sarsens that make up the now ruined structure, have existed as an integral part of the Wessex landscape for thousands of years. Their history goes back to past times that have not been preserved in human memory.

Visible from afar, the preserved stones seem to have lost their significance and almost disappeared against the background of the wide gloomy sky of the Salisbury Plain. Even official guidebooks warn that Stonehenge is one of those historical monuments that has a bad reputation, and the first impression of a visitor is always disappointment.

The plain itself, which someone once called the graveyard of Britain's antiquities, is exceptionally flat and stretches like a huge, slightly undulating green ocean, saturated with the mysterious spirit of the past. John Evelyn, passing through this plain in 1654, described it in his diary as follows: "Space, scale, greenery and countless herds make up this one of the most delightful pictures of nature." Another traveler, Samuel Pipe, admitted that "these great hills even frighten us." In fact, this plain evokes different feelings in different people. For travelers with a poetic imagination, its mysterious atmosphere evokes paintings in the style of Thomas Hardy. The plain also provided the backdrop for the nature-singing poetry of Wordsworth, who, as a young man, admired its vastness and wrote in his Prelude:

Circles and mounds, rows of stones

Scattered throughout the gloomy plain...

For a musician, the plain echoes with the truly English symphonies of Vaughan William, and for retired soldiers it reminds of abandoned landing strips and the camps are nostalgic pictures of their youth.

And, only being almost in the shadow of the monument itself, a person can appreciate the entire unique massiveness of this structure created by his distant ancestors. And only then can he stop and think about what made the ancient people conceive, and then build this greatest architectural structure of prehistoric Europe.

Now, for a casual look, Stonehenge is a sad sight of huge stones that time did not spare. It was like this as far back as the early 18th century, when the historian William Stackley aptly called it "brute chaos." Despite this, even on the basis of these chaotic ruins, it was possible to reconstruct their basic architecture and see the monument as it was seen by the ancient builders at various stages of construction.

Rice. 6. Stonehenge area

It is the outer circle of gray stones that immediately attracts the eye. Once this circle consisted of thirty vertical rectangular sarsens. On each pair of stones rested a similar horizontal block-lintel, of which now only five stones remain in their original position. These lintel stones probably formed a closed architrave, each in its shape representing a part of the curve of a circle, and all held in place by a double connection of the groove and tenon type. These artfully crafted joints show that the megalith's builders were well versed in traditional carpentry techniques, which the master designer of Stonehenge skillfully used to solve lesser-known masonry problems.

The diameter of the outer circle of the sarsens, measured from the inner "polished" surface of the sarsens (their outer surface, apparently, remained unfinished) is 29.25 m (97.5 ft). Each vertical sarsen averages 26 tons in weight and averages 4 m (13 ft) in height. The tallest stone measures 5.4 m (18 ft), of which approximately 1.2–1.5 m (4–5 ft) are hidden underground. The sarsens that form this circle are often referred to as "grey rams," the local Wiltshire name for the blocks of Tertiary sandstone that are scattered throughout the Down and resemble flocks of grazing sheep in their appearance. These blocks of sandstone can still be seen lying on the ground north of Stonehenge, and their ingrown remnants extend far to the east and form part of the London Basin deposits in the Reading area.

Inside the outer circle of sarsens is a circle of blue stones 22.8 m (76 ft) in diameter. It is believed that the number of stones that made up this circle varies from 59 to 61. Of these, only nine stones remained in an upright position, and many are missing. Blue stones are not characteristic of the landscape of Wessex.

Closer to the center of the monument were five massive sarsen triliths 6 to 7.5 m (20 to 25 ft) high above the ground, arranged in the shape of a horseshoe, the open part of which is oriented to the northeast. Each trilith, as evidenced by their name, consisted of three stones, two of which stood vertically, and the third rested horizontally on their tops in the form of a bridge and was fixed with a tongue-and-groove connection, like the outer circle of sarsens. The gap between the vertical stones of each trilith was about 30-33 cm (12-13 inches), but the gap of the central trilith (55-56) could be a little more. The central trilith collapsed in 1574, the fourth trilith (57 - 58, now restored) fell on January 3, 1797, probably as a result of the rapid thawing of the frozen ground. The fifth trilith (59 - 60) was partially destroyed before 1574.

Rice. 7. Plan of Stonehenge

Rice. 8. Detailed plan of the sarsen circle and inner stones of Stonehenge as of 1975. Center of the circle of sarsens (Sc.); center of Aubrey circle (Ac.)

Inside the territory outlined by a huge horseshoe of triliths, and not far from it, there are the remains of an inner, smaller horseshoe made of blue stones alien to this area. It was previously thought that this horseshoe consisted of nineteen smaller vertical stones 1.8–2.4 m (6–8 ft) high. Now only twelve of them can be seen here.

These alien blue rocks have long been one of the most difficult mysteries of Stonehenge. There are many theories about how they got here and from where. However, in 1923, having shown a brilliant talent as a researcher, H.Kh. Thomas finally figured out their place of origin in the Preselli Mountains in South Wales(Fig. 17).

Inside this horseshoe, closer to its geometric center, lies the Altar Stone, so named by Inigo Jones. This 6-ton stone is also alien to Stonehenge and, although also a local Pembrokeshire stone, it is distinct from the Preselli volcanic bluestones formed from mica limestone, possibly in deposits near Milford Harbor. The disorder around the Altar Stone is a mute testimony to a rather long history of treasure hunting. Undoubtedly, this was a search for the legendary gold of a long-dead British leader, who, according to legend, was buried almost in the center of Stonehenge.

Within the boundaries of the monument, defined by the large surrounding ramparts and outer moat (the ramparts), are four basestones of particular importance that are believed to be strongly associated with the astronomical theories associated with Stonehenge. Only one of these four basestones (93) has a piece left that accurately indicates its position. The exact position of stone 94 is unknown, stone 91 fell, and only a depression in the ground remained of stone 92. Two base stones (92 and 94) are located on mounds (in other literature they are often called tumuli or barrows), and two stones (91 and 93) are at ground level.

Another important feature of this monument are the three circles of pits: fifty-six Aubrey pits are located inside the outer earthen rampart. Some of these can be seen at ground level, and holes Y and Z radiate like spokes from a larger circle of sarsens, but are difficult to recognize at ground level.

In the northeast, an earthen rampart is blocked and forms the so-called entrance to the dam. Across it, spanning the first and last holes of the Aubrey circle, lies a large sarsen 6.3 m (21 ft) long. Although it was known to early historians as the Scaffold, there is currently no evidence to justify such a mysterious name.

Beyond the larger circle of sarsens and the mounded ditch is the most important and conspicuous single Heel Stone, or Monk's Heel, which is a sloping, unworked monolith now towering 4.8 m (16 ft) and 76.8 meters (256 ft) ) from the so-called geometric center of Stonehenge. The geometric center is near the top of the Heel Stone as seen from the center of the monument as the Sun rises on the summer solstice, around June 21st. Alternative title The monk's heel is associated with ancient legend Stonehenge, which involves the devil and the priest. The story tells that as a result of a quarrel between them, the devil launched a huge stone at the monk. The stone hit the monk right on the heel just at the moment when the Sun rose, and so the devil had to run. Today, visitors can no longer find this footprint on the Heel Stone, and this undoubtedly spoils such a colorful legend. However, R.J.S. Atkinson believed that this sign was on stone 14. Previously, the Heel Stone was called the Hele stone, which supposedly came from the Anglo-Saxon verb helan- "hide". Apparently, this name was given to the stone because it obscured the Sun when it rose on the day of the summer solstice.

Rice. 9. Sketch of the central part of Stonehenge, as viewed from the west (1958), before the restoration of the trilith stones (57 - 58)

Another notable feature of Stonehenge is the avenue, the dam. The avenue, i.e., a mound of earth, stretches approximately to the southeast for a distance of more than 120 m (400 ft) and was first discovered in 1723 by William Stackley, who named this road by analogy with the nearby avenue of standing stones at Avebury. However, unlike the avenue at Avebury, there are no standing stones along the avenue at Stonehenge, and so it has been suggested that the name "Procession Road" is more appropriate.

The entrance to the dam leads from the earthen rampart to the beginning of the avenue. The remains of numerous pits for pillars have been preserved here, and their presence in this part of the monument is largely associated with the astronomical theories of Stonehenge. Scattered around the monument are several other stones and postholes, whose orientations are also important to astronomical theories.

Almost all of the above features belong to the last stage of the development of Stonehenge. What the monument looked like in the various phases of its construction is described below in connection with modern interpretations and theories.

Aside from vague and dubious classical references, Stonehenge was not usually indulged in commentary until, in the twelfth century, Henry of Huntingdon referred to it in his History of the English People as one of the four wonders of England (the rest were clearly natural wonders). Gottfried of Monmouth also wrote about the monument in the 12th century in his History of the Kings of Britain. It is believed that Gottfried was a Welsh monk. His apocryphal story was written in the style of a historical novel - part fact, but mostly fiction. It was Gottfried's book that became the source of all the legends about King Arthur, and with Stonehenge he connected the colorful story of Hengist and Horsus, who led the Saxon capture of England in the 5th century. This story also mentions the legendary Merlin, who, after the execution of 460 representatives of the British nobility and revenge for them by Aurelius Ambrosius, was entrusted with supervising the erection of a monument in their honor.

Merlin told Ambrose about the Dance of the Giants in Ireland, where stones lay that had the unique property of curing many diseases. It was assumed that in the past the giants brought them from Africa and placed them in Ireland. In Merlin's opinion, no other stones served this purpose better, and Ambrosius sent his brother Uther Pendragon to Ireland with an army to capture them. This task was successfully completed, and the stones were transported to the coast, then by ship to England and, as a result, they were erected at Stonehenge.

In 1624, one Edmund Bolton suggested that Stonehenge was the tomb of Boadicea, the colorful British pagan queen who led a bloody uprising against the Romans in the 1st century. Four years earlier, King James I, who himself was very interested in this monument, ordered Inigo Jones, topographer general of royal buildings and distributor in England architectural style palladium, prepare a detailed report for him.

In the middle of the 17th century, four notable books appeared, offering various theories of Stonehenge. The first of these, Stonehenge Restored, was written by Inigo Jones (1655). In it, he refuted the merits of King Arthur, as well as all other prehistoric theories, for the sole reason that the ancient Britons, before and after the Romans, were "too wild in nature" to create such a monument ... and therefore the Romans had to do it. The next, in 1663, was the book by Walter Charlton, The Dance of the Giants, in which he called Stonehenge a Danish monument of the 9th century, citing Danish megaliths as a parallel example. Charlton also suggested that the purpose of nearby Avebury could be determined by excavating around its stones. The other two books were Webb's Vindication of Stone-Heng Restored (in support of the Romans) and Gibbon's delightfully titled A Fools Bolt soon Shott at Stonage.

Two well-known 17th-century chroniclers, Evelyn and Pipe, also published their notes after visiting Stonehenge. John Evelyn called the monument "colossal ... from a distance like a castle" and posed ... the age-old question: "One can only wonder how these stones were brought here, because there is no navigable river nearby, and similar stones can only be found 20 miles from here, to the Marlborough Downs, where some of them are right on the surface of the earth. Samuel Pipe's account was more succinct, but he too found the monument "as amazing as any stories I've heard of it" and he concluded, "God only knows what its purpose was."

In historical times, the Duke of Buckingham was the first to become so interested in the monument that he began to study it. John Aubrey (1626 - 1697) tells in his book Antiquities and Folklore: "... in 1620, when King James was in Wilton, the duke ordered to begin excavations in the center of Stonehenge, and this digging led to the fall of a huge stone." This is the first mention in the literature of what is now known as the huge central trilith (stones 55-56).

Aubrey also reports that during the excavations “they found a large quantity of bones of deer and bulls, charcoal, arrowheads, and some parts of iron armor corroded by rust. The bones were so rotten that it was difficult to tell whether they belonged to a deer or a man.” Aubrey informs us that, according to Philip, Earl of Pembroke, the stone altar found in the center of this place was taken to the palace of St. James. Another chronicler, John Camden, says this in his notes: "the place where the bones of a man were dug up."

Aubrey, one of the greatest early historians of Stonehenge, was born in Easton Percy, not far from Stonehenge. He says that in his youth he liked to study antiquities and especially "the plains of Salisbury and Stonehenge." It was Aubrey who first discovered the outer circle of holes, or holes, which now bears his name. He was an influential man, a member of the Royal Society of London and a friend of the king himself. Quite unfairly, some biographers have described him as "an intriguer and henchman of the great." In 1663, he again visited Stonehenge on behalf of Charles II, and from about that time, the folklore-fantasy druid element characteristic of him began to be present in the general scheme of events. However, Aubrey's opus Monumenta Britannia (whose manuscript is now in the Bodleian Library, Oxford) was never published due to the lack of public interest in historical discoveries at the time.

In his manuscript, Aubrey says: “There are several books about Stonehenge written by knowledgeable people. They are very different from each other, some offer one thing, others another ... "Aubrey suggested that Stonehenge and other rounded monuments that he studied "are the temples of the Druids." Applying the comparative method in archeology, he wrote: “When a traveler rides a horse past the ruins of a monastery, he recognizes by the nature of the buildings a chapel, cells, etc. and understands that it was a monastery, but by their appearance alone he cannot judge , what order - Benedictine, Dominican, etc. From this follows the conclusion that all the monuments that I have listed were temples. From this I conclude that the Druids were the most exalted priests or order, and such ancient monuments as Avebury, Stonehenge, Kerring, Druidd, etc. were the temples of the priests of the most exalted order of the Druids, so it can be assumed that Avebury, Stonehenge etc. are as ancient as those times ... "

Aubrey admits that his theory is only a guess, and makes a funny conclusion: “... and although I did not bring it into the open light, I nevertheless brought it out of complete darkness into a light fog, and in this essay I went further than anyone or before me. He justifies the vagueness of his judgments with the following remark: “These antiquities are so old that they are not mentioned in any books, therefore their age can only be determined in comparison with other antiquities that I found on the spot, in these very monuments...”

Aubrey's attitude to this issue can be summarized by the following Latin expression: "Historia quo quo modo scripta bona est" ("However history is written is good"). Aubrey certainly cannot be accused of a lack of humor when he informs us that the first draft of this text "was worn out by time and constant turning over, and now it seems to me that after many years of neglect I have come into the light, like the ghost of one of these druids .. ."

Aubrey had many druidic fantasies, such as noticing how common sparrows often make their nests in the natural cavities of some weather-eaten sarsens. As a result, he put forward the idea that in the grooves of the joints of the sarsens-lintels of Stonehenge, cavities may have been specially made for the nests of the sacred birds of the druids.

Before Jones and Aubrey, there was virtually no mention of the druids, but from that time to the present day, the monument has never been able to get rid of their constant presence.

The religion of the Celtic Druids did not spread to Britain until the La Tène period of the Iron Age ( With.–300). Almost no evidence has come down to us about the ancient Celtic peoples, their culture and religion. Prior to the 7th century, no literary materials (except for interpretations) in the Celtic language were found, and no coherent works older than the 11th century were found. Roman and Greek writers have left us contemporary accounts of Celtic history, religion and customs. These narratives are rather sketchy and usually boil down to generalized statements about the Celts and their contacts with such privileged nations as the Romans and Greeks.

Stuart Piggott, in his authoritative book The Druids (1968), posed the question that had long tormented everyone, why practically no one remembered the priesthood within the framework of the barbaric pre-Roman Celtic religion, to which some thirty passages, little-known and vague, were devoted in Greek and Roman literature , apart from a few scholars, almost two thousand years after its official suppression by the Roman authorities. Piggott emphasized: "...instead of the druids as they were, we are taught the druids as they want to be."

The old colorful theme of the druids was taken up again by William Stuckley in 1740 when he published Stonehenge, the Temple Reclaimed by the British Druids. Aubrey expressed his ideas more carefully, using remarks of this kind: "...I must confess that this study is a wandering in the dark ..." Stuckley, however, did not have Aubrey's restraint and therefore firmly stated that the druids performed their cult at Stonehenge and similar places, and the object of their worship was the serpent.

Stuckley, starting his thesis with the compelling biblical figure of Abraham, builds up a legend that, touching along the way on Phoenician visits to Britain, is a classic exposition of the traditional hyperdiffusionist theory of migration. But despite his wild flight of fancy, this theory had a profound effect on subsequent Stonehenge explorers and others, and by and large greatly influenced the perception of British prehistory.

Being a very observant field historian, Stuckley made an excellent topographical study of Stonehenge. His work has brought attention to some salient features that had previously gone unnoticed. Some of the innovative aspects of his work served as a stimulus for other scientists in related fields, but at times it had dire consequences. For example, Stuckley claimed to have discovered the measure that the builders of Stonehenge used in their work, which he called the "druidic cubit". It was equal to 20.8 English inches (which is actually very close to the Egyptian royal cubit of 20.67 English inches, or 525 mm). There is little doubt that Stuckley's work also inspired Piazzi Smith's definition of his "pyramidal inch" and may well have formed the basis of Flinders Petrie's idea of ​​the "Etruscan foot" and Thom's so-called "megalithic yard". Stuckley also suggested that druid builders might have used a magnetic compass to work out the geometry of Stonehenge, and after examining the orientation of the monument, he concluded that it was built around -460. Subsequently, a number of enthusiasts have used Stuckley's ideas about magnetic orientation to date the construction of British churches and other structures, with many highly dubious results. He also noted the earthworks known as cursus (Latin for a racetrack), often found in ancient historical literature under the name "hippodrome" where the Romans (or other earlier tribes) held chariot races.

However, Stuckley's work on Stonehenge is of particular interest, as he highlights the fact that the main axis of the monument points to the northeast and the midsummer solstice. This is the first "astronomical" reference in such records (not counting some apocryphal remarks). A number of researchers following in Stukley's footsteps have also embraced the druid theme. In 1747 John Wood's Choir Gaure Vulgarly called Stonehenge, on Salisbury Plain, Described, Restored, and Explained appeared. The book contained the first detailed plan monument, but was filled with the same druidic fantasies.

Another Druid devotee was Dr. John Smith, who in 1771 published a pamphlet called Choir Gaur the Grand Orrery of the Ancient Druids, in which he wrote: no one has yet explored the principles of its use. I started my research without any tools or help, with nothing but White's ephemeris. I assumed that the stone, called the Fifth Monk, was a sign that would help to unravel how this building was used, and I was not mistaken ... "

Smith tells how he drew a circle around the "mound by the ditch" and divided it into 360 equal parts, and then drew a "right line" through the Friar's Heel and marked the point of the summer solstice. "...Following this plan, I soon discovered ways to use all the adjacent stones, including those that formed the basis of the temple."

Smith's astronomical reasoning is very interesting. He claims that Stonehenge functioned as a model of the planetary system, but was not a mechanism showing the movement of the planets, but was a calendar of stones. Smith convincingly demonstrated that thirty stones in one of the circles, multiplied by the significant number 12 - since the Greek zodiac contains 12 signs - gives a total of 360, a "round" number of days, which were known to be ancient solar year. He also shared Stukley's idea that the axis of the monument was oriented to the point of the summer solstice.

Despite incorrect conclusions and brief descriptions, one of the best studies of Stonehenge (and other megaliths) of the 19th century can be called the work of James Fergusson "Monuments of raw stone in all countries, their age and use" (1872). most big mystery for all the researchers of Stonehenge was its origin and age, as well as the purpose of this monument. Fergusson carefully weighed all the evidence and came to the (erroneous) conclusion that he attributed it to the post-Roman period. Paying particular attention to theories related to the cursus and the hippodrome, he noted: “The likelihood that these orientations were once used for racing seems to me the least plausible of all conjectures that have ever been put forward ... All Roman hippodromes known to us let the horses run past their starting point again, and none of the racetracks was ever a mile long, much less a mile and three-quarters ... But if this is not a racetrack, then what is it?

Ferguson himself believed that this was a battlefield. Indeed, Stonehenge could be a monument erected by the victor in memory of the massacre described in the legend of Gottfried of Monmouth.

Flinders Petrie, who later became one of the most famous British Egyptologists, explored Stonehenge in 1880 and prepared the first truly correct plan, which was supposed to be accurate to ± one inch (but it is not). In his work Stonehenge: Plans, Descriptions and Theories, Petrie himself wrote that the origin of the monument was still pre-Roman, but, in his opinion, at least some of the stones could have been erected already in Roman times by Aurelius Ambrosius or other local leaders who later no doubt were buried at or near Stonehenge. Petrie determined the date of the monument by some erroneous reasoning about changes in the obliquity of the ecliptic, but this error was later identified and corrected by Lockyer.

It was reasonable to assume that at some time in the 19th century someone would certainly try to put forward an idea linking Stonehenge and its mysteries to the so-called continent of Atlantis. The first attempt of this kind was made by Blacket in 1883. Since then, not a single year has passed without someone declaring themselves to be her adherents or linking Stonehenge with the mysterious Lemuria or even with Buddhist monks. Varying in their eccentricity, all these ideas stubbornly followed in one direction.

Since the Second World War, a lot of pseudo-scientific literature has appeared, which presented us with various fantastic theories of the appearance and essence of Stonehenge. However, think about the following postulate: “Every new theory put forward is regularly criticized, and this will continue until the end of time. Each new generation considers itself smarter than the previous one. Having made more progress in their research, it can better interpret those issues that for their fathers and grandfathers seemed difficult to explain. As it happens, more books have been written about the haunted Stonehenge than about all the other megalithic structures in the world combined. Such literature on Stonehenge, as the most famous of all megaliths, could fill the shelves of a small library.”

Surprisingly, the above commentary was not written by the modern Stonehenge explorer, but by A. William Long in 1876.

By 1896, there seemed to be no more theories about the nature and purpose of Stonehenge that had not been published. Hutchinson, in Prehistoric Man and Animals, lists the main ones:

Temple of the Sun.

Temple of the Serpent.

Tomb of the Buddha.

Planetarium or astronomical model of the planets.

Calendar in stone for counting the solar year.

Giant gallows where the defeated British leaders were executed in honor of the Saxon god Odin.

A memorial created by Aurelius in memory of the representatives of the British nobility, treacherously killed by the Saxon Hengist at a feast.

Stonehenge is the most famous megalithic structure in Europe. How and why Stonehenge was built is still a mystery.
Why was this grandiose, even by modern standards, erected a structure that stood for thousands of years?
I have visited many sacred places on the planet, and have long dreamed of visiting Stonehenge.
We were among the last to see the ancient stones of Stonehenge with our own eyes. In 2013, the British government, at the initiative of English Heritage (the state commission on historical sites and monuments), decided to limit the number of tourists visiting Stonehenge to 7,650 people a day. The stones of Stonehenge are planned to be covered with a glass dome, and the inspection will be carried out from a distance, tourists will drive up in electric cars for a limited time.

I first saw Stonehenge thirty-five years ago in Roman Polanski's Tess (starring Nastassja Kinski). Unfortunate lovers find among the ancient stones the last refuge. These stones have seen many troubles and misfortunes, and are hardly surprised tragic fate two lovers. How much have they seen!

Stonehenge is an object of pilgrimage for pagans from all over the world. Since 1986 it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Approximately 1 million people visit it annually as part of organized groups; plus many tourists get on their own. England annually receives 19 million tourists.

The megalithic structure is located in the southwest of Great Britain in the county of Wiltshire, 130 km southwest of London and 13 km from Salisbury. It is on the fields of the Salisbury Plain that most often appear drawings, the origin and meaning of which are still unknown.

Stonehenge means "hanging stones". The ancient inhabitants of the British Isles called it the "Dance of the Giants". The creator was considered the sage and wizard Merlin, adviser to King Arthur. King Arthur himself, according to legend, was the leader of the Britons in the 5th and 6th centuries. However, no evidence of its existence has yet been found.

King James I of England (1567-1625), having visited Stonehenge, instructed his architect Inigo Jones to investigate the ancient structure. Jones discovered 30 vertical stones forming a circle and concluded that they were the ruins of an ancient Roman temple.

The next study of Stonehenge was commissioned by King Charles II (1630-1685) by British antiquities expert John Aubrey. In 1678, Aubrey discovered 56 holes and breaks in the ground along the inner perimeter of the shaft, which were called "Aubrey's holes." Aubrey concluded that this was an ancient sanctuary of the Druids.

By all accounts, the construction of Stonehenge took place in three phases. It began in the Neolithic period between 3100 and 2800 BC. BC. The end of construction is attributed to 1900 BC. plus or minus 200 years.

According to the results of recent excavations, the time of the creation of Stonehenge is attributed to an even later time - to the New Stone and Bronze Ages.
Some estimate the age of Stonehenge at 5.5 thousand years; others 12-13 thousand.
At the end of 1994, University of Wales professor David Bowen conducted research using the latest laser method and stated that Stonehenge was not 5,000 years old, but 140,000 years old.
However, the closest species of Homo sapiens - a neoanthrope - appeared on Earth about 70-60 thousand years ago.

The Celts settled in the British Isles in the 6th century. BC. Thus, Stonehenge is not a Celtic structure. There is an opinion that this is not a sanctuary, but a temple.

According to Professor of Archeology from the University of Sheffield Mike Parker, Person Stonehenge from the very beginning of its existence until its heyday in the third millennium BC was considered by the inhabitants of England as a territory for the burial of the dead. Indeed, burials were found on the territory of the monument, but they were made much later than the construction of Stonehenge.

After the excavations, it was found that about 240 people were buried in Stonehenge, who were cremated before burial. At the same time, archaeologists believe that representatives of the local elite or the ruling dynasty were most likely buried here.
The largest part of the remains date back to 2570-2340 BC, and the first part of the ashes, which was discovered in the oldest part of Stonehenge, is dated 3030-2880 BC.

In 1963, astronomer Gerald Hawkins named Stonehenge an observatory, as well as a calendar, based on which calculations made it possible to predict astronomical events.
“For five full centuries the builders of Stonehenge—first the Eneolithic people, then the Beakers, and then the Wessex—observed the Sun and the Moon, discovered the mysteries of the surrounding world, traced periodicities, predicted dangerous time eclipses. The giant structure was created in accordance with this astronomical-mathematical scheme, although, in all likelihood, its complex scientific basis remained hidden from the simple workers who erected it. The idea in all details was known only to the class of priests.

Stonehenge is composed of three types of stones: 1 \ dolerite ("blue" stone, more precisely, gray sandstone with a bluish tinge), 2 \ rhyolite, 3 \ volcanic tuff.
The most striking thing is that stones of these rocks are found only in the mountains of Wales, and this is in a straight line 210 km from Stonehenge, and taking into account the features of the relief, 380 km.

How did ancient people deliver stones weighing 50 tons over such long distances?
Recently, they tried to simulate the possible path of these stones, and it turned out that some of them could be delivered by water on rafts, and by land - on a certain kind of wooden sledge, under the runners of which round logs were placed. Thus, a little more than a kilometer could be covered per day.

Stonehenge consists of ring and horseshoe-shaped structures built of large stones - menhirs. Menhir is a vertically installed single megalith.

First, the surrounding ditch was dug, with a diameter of 97.5 m.
The time of the appearance of the moat is about 3100 BC.
The installation of stones began around 2600 BC.
The end of the construction is attributed to approximately 1900-1700. BC.

The ancients knew how to work stone with stone. But how could they lift already processed stones weighing more than 20 tons?

Multi-ton triliths (a structure of three stones with the letter P) of Stonehenge were created without any fastening solutions and stood for many thousands of years.

How were triliths erected?
It is believed that logs were placed under the stone-diameter in a slide, then they shifted it, fixing it at a certain height so that the stone did not roll back, with an additional layer of logs. The completion of the construction of the trilith was the combination of the spike and the groove for it.

The arc of the outer ring of 13 stones has been preserved along with the ceilings.
Within this circle stood five triliths of sarsen, forming a horseshoe open towards the road. Huge stones weigh up to 50 tons each.
The shape of the ring and the horseshoe are repeated by the ring without overlaps and horseshoes made of blue stones.

30 sarsen stones form a circle with a diameter of 33 meters.
Stones of the outer circle: height - 4.1, width - 2.1, weight - about 25 tons.
On top of them are laid stones-lintels about 3.2 m long and 1 m wide and 0.8 m thick so that the tops of the lintels are 4.9 m above ground level.

In 1901-1965. Stonehenge has been restored. Some of the fallen megaliths were raised and their bases were concreted.

Despite the paucity of technical means, the builders of Stonehenge felt the need to erect a gigantic structure, without which, strictly speaking, they could do without. Cambridge professor Graham Clark called it "self-awareness".

The aim of the construction was to find a harmonious cycle. For this, the ancients needed a circle with a solid orientation.
All the megaliths of Stonehenge stood and stand exactly the same as they were once installed by the ancient builders. However, soon after the construction of Stonehenge was abandoned. The fact is that the builders of Stonehenge put the megaliths correctly, and the error arose due to the displacement of the earth's axis.

Gerald Hawkins explains the "mistake" of the Stonehenge stones of 0.9 degrees by the fact that in 1528 BC a catastrophic volcanic eruption occurred on the island of Santorini (Greece), which caused a displacement of the earth's axis. As a result of the displacement of the earth's axis, the year became not 360, but 365 days.

As a result of the catastrophe, the changed angle of the earth's axis crossed out hundreds of years of hard work of the ancient builders, as well as numerous empirical observations and calculations of the priests of Stonehenge. As an astronomical observatory, Stonehenge became useless.

Around 1500 B.C. An attempt was made to reconstruct Stonehenge in accordance with the new position of the earth's axis. It lasted several decades and ended in failure.

In 1995, British astronomer Duncan Steel put forward the theory that Stonehenge was originally used to predict cosmic catastrophes.
On the day of the summer solstice, the first sunbeam, breaking through the haze of fog, appears exactly above the top of a large, free-standing stone, called the Heel.

Gerald Hawkins in his book "From Stonehenge to the Incas" defines the purpose of Stonehenge as follows:
“Before the discovery of the close connection of Stonehenge with astronomical phenomena, it was believed that its construction was determined by purely religious motives. Not druidism - it was a Celtic religion, and it appeared later. And not nascent Christianity. And not Judaism, although two or three authors put forward arguments in favor of such hypotheses. No, it was a religion whose essence has been lost to us.”

Of course, Stonehenge is a temple of the initiates. Moreover, Stonehenge can be seen as a coded mythological message.

The first researchers associated the construction of Stonehenge with the Druids. However, it is unlikely that the druid priests possessed the exact mathematical and astronomical knowledge that allowed them to build Stonehenge.

Scientists are still wondering how and why in different unrelated cultures the idea of ​​​​building such structures arose.
What prompted the ancient people to build grandiose mysterious objects?

Approximately 5000 years ago in the history of mankind there was an unusually intense burst of intellectual energy. In Egypt, they began to build pyramids. In the ancient Egyptian "Pyramid Texts" (XXV-XXIII centuries BC) there are names heavenly bodies.

In existence from the second millennium BC. until the VI century. BC. the Sumerian-Akkadian state of Babylon, the priests built telescopes, made moon calendar and astronomical tables.

But how could astronomical information get to the British Isles in those years?
There is no information about the travels of the ancient Egyptians and Sumerians to the north of Europe. Not a single ancient historian mentions the existence of Stonehenge.

To understand the mystery of Stonehenge, it must be considered in combination with other monuments. ancient culture, including the pyramids of Egypt, the labyrinths of Crete, Nazca drawings, monuments of Inca and Mayan culture. For they all have a connection with the mystery of the "revenge comet" which modern people called the Apocalypse.

Recently, a discovery was made: the blue stones of Stonehenge are heterogeneous and cannot come from the same deposit.
Then where did they come from?
There is a hypothesis that Stonehenge is a construction of alien creatures, perhaps their landing pad and even a gateway to another dimension...
Some suggest considering Stonehenge as a pictogram of extraterrestrial civilizations.

What is the metaphysical meaning of Stonehenge for us?
Stonehenge can be regarded as the embodiment of eternal knowledge, as a message to posterity, showing us the way to save life during global cataclysms.

Why are sacred places, cultural traditions, ancient customs so important?
They connect us with our ancestors, with their life experience, the wisdom of generations accumulated over the centuries. Feeling connected to my ancestors, I feel more confident between the past and the future in a brief moment called life. I want not to repeat the mistakes of the past, I want to be happy, to move forward along the closed spiral of being.

Why did the ancients build Stonehenge?
I believe it was the temple of the Sun, the oldest observatory and burial place, and perhaps even informational portal. The ancients tried to understand the cycles of the Sun, which means the cycles of life, the patterns of life, its laws. For what? To build your life in accordance with these universal laws of the universe. After all, only being in harmony with nature can you be truly happy.

Modern people prefer to live according to the unnatural laws they invented, and wonder why they are unhappy.

Now people have ceased to hear the music of the spheres. We are deaf and blind, we do not see and do not hear what the ancients heard and saw.
Close your ears to hear, close your eyes to see!

In Scotland, the "stone of fate" is kept. All British monarchs were crowned by placing it under the throne. Elizabeth II whole year could not be crowned because the stone was missing. And without it, no coronation is possible. Such is the power of stone!

Stones are the greatest jewel; some are more precious than human life.
Many countries have stone museums. There are rock gardens in Japan.
The same stones bring health to one person, and illness to another; some make happy, others unhappy.

It is known that stones can store and hold energy, being a repository of information.

I bring a pebble from every trip. I also have a stone from the Garden of Gethsemane, from Egyptian pyramids, from the mountain of Moses, and from extinct volcano Santorini…

When I walk through the labyrinths of St. Petersburg, it seems to me that I am a guest here, and they are the owners, these stone embankments, buildings and palaces. We are born among stone buildings, we die, and the stones continue to live, watching us.

When you look at the stones, the pace of life slows down, the fuss disappears and you begin to feel the time of eternity.

We looked at the ancient stones of Stonehenge, and I had the feeling that these stones were looking at us.
The stones are watching us!
Someone even tried to talk to them...

Look at the world through the eyes of a stone, and you will see yourself in it.
- Am I a stone?
- Is it hard to believe? But it is so. I am in you and you are in me. We are all part of the One Whole, we are all relatives. If it's more convenient for you, you can call me Piotr. Stone also has a soul. I see, I feel, I hear. And I even understand! There is not much difference between us, as it may seem at first glance.
Everything is alive. Even what seems lifeless. And what is the difference between living and non-living? Only the speed of metabolic processes? The border is conditional. Here I am alive, although I seem inanimate. I also know how to love, multiply, die, hear everything, feel and even experience. We just perceive the world differently. My life seems like an eternity to you, your life seems like an eternity to a mosquito.
In me, you can see, if you want, everything. I am the repository of life. Everything came out of me and will return to me. In the end, everything becomes stone. Everything on this planet will disappear, only I will remain. Your entire civilization is built on me. In me you found iron, in me you found the energy of the atom. I am the foundation. According to me, you can study the Universe, I am a miracle of the Cosmos, I am a furnace of heavy stars.
Do you see the sun in me? After all, I'm burning, in me the energy of great power. I am a whole world of life unknown to you. I actually am the universe in a compressed form. I am fire, frozen fire!
Once I fell on this planet and brought particles of microorganisms from outer space, from which life originated. Thanks to me, you - people, and all life on this planet have arisen. I am a product of the history of the Earth, the remnants of bacteria that are millions of years old live in me. But I am not only the past of the Earth, I also have its future...
Everything exists simultaneously: here and now.
The Universe is in infinity of cycles and cycles.
Only in the harmony of spirit and body can one comprehend the essence of universal harmony.
(from my true-life novel "The Wanderer" (mystery) on the site New Russian Literature

In your opinion, WHY WAS STONEHENGE BUILT?

© Nikolai Kofirin – New Russian Literature –

And even in this cycle, the feelings and thoughts of those present cannot be called ordinary. Every time you find yourself at the ring of giant stone monoliths in the Avon Valley, you feel like a speck of dust in the whirlpool of time.

The stone heart of Britain

Stonehenge is a stone megalithic structure 130 kilometers from London. The name is translated from Old English as "hanging stones". The complex consists of 82 five-ton megaliths and 30 stone blocks weighing 25 tons each. On top of them are slabs-jumpers. In the center stood 5 so-called triliths - huge U-shaped structures weighing 40-50 tons each.

This is a cromlech, or stone circle - a type of ancient megalithic building vertical stones. More than 1,000 such structures have been found in the British Isles and continental Europe, mostly near the sea.

X-ray of epochs

In fact, Stonehenge is not only a stone circle. A huge territory with a diameter of about 10 kilometers is connected with it, humiliated by ancient burial grounds, ditches, ramparts, barrows, circles, pillars and other earthen and stone structures. All this is a historical landscape, hidden under forest belts, roads and the consequences of thousands of years of land erosion. More precisely, it was so - until recently.

It was considered in detail during the project "Hidden Landscapes of Stonehenge" in 2010-2015. Scientists applied special scanning in various modes using magnetometers and radars. British, Austrian scientists and their colleagues from other countries ransacked the valley with special devices like grabbars or seeders hitched to mini-tractors, scanning the landscape strip by strip. The result was a three-dimensional (!) map that showed a whole world of ancient hidden monuments. Not far from the famous megalithic sights, at least 17 more ritual structures were found, not counting dozens of household, burial and others.

Those finds explain what Stonehenge is and why it was built here.

Valley of the Red Stones

Around Stonehenge people settled 7000 years ago. After all, the valley of the River Avon, where he now is, was fertile for hunting. This is evidenced by numerous stone tips and skeletons of aurochs found by archaeologists - large horned animals, which have long been unknown in the UK. Obviously, successful hunting made the valley a desirable place for people of the Mesolithic era.

But this did not at all lead to the construction of the first sanctuaries in the valley, it was not hunting that made the area sacred in the eyes of the cavemen. And here's what.

The stones in the local stream, after drying, acquire a bright crimson color. A real miracle even for a modern person! Researchers suggest that this is due to the mystical status of Stonehenge. Why not?

High-tech stone age

No, Stonehenge is not one of the earliest places of worship in the Avon Valley. They began to be built here 7,000 years ago - two millennia before the most famous stone ring in the world. The first "prayer place" in these parts were three stone pillars, installed in the Mesolithic era.

And in the Neolithic, 6000 years ago, new, already agricultural tribes of the island. They created the so-called "long mounds" of wooden posts and walls covered with earth. This is a burial, skeletons that tell about the new customs of new people. The inhabitants of Stonehenge removed the skin and flesh from the dead, treated the skulls in a special way. Why is not clear. One way or another, the place remained sacred.

The purpose of the construction of burial mounds is clear. But why did Neolithic people need giant stones? For example, in order to honor the memory of an outstanding person. Or to make a "super charm" for the tribe. Or so that the leader could prove his own worth. This symbolic use of stones defines the Neolithic era.

Subsequently, 5600 years ago, concentric ditches in the form of rings with gaps appeared in the Avon Valley - the first examples of stone age fences. These "circles of Robin Hood" became the oldest fortifications in Great Britain. Scientists tell terrible things about the local mass assaults and defense, in which even women, old people and children participated. 400 arrowheads were found only on one of the hills thus fenced off. Of the inhabitants of the fortified village, no one escaped. The settlement was depopulated a hundred years after its foundation.

Later ditches appeared in the form of very elongated ovals or stripes. The largest is called the Great Moat, or Kursus. It stretches for more than 2 kilometers - an outstanding achievement for the Neolithic! For its laying, tools of a new generation were needed - flint axes. Nearby, 450 ancient flint mines were found, where so much material was mined that it would be enough for millions of axes!

It turns out that people already in those days knew how to implement large-scale projects. The precision with which the Great Moat was designed is impressive. Several passages were found in it, and inside - two pits 5 meters wide and 1.5 meters deep. When we compared the location of the depressions with the movement of the sun, everything became clear. Obviously, rituals associated with the summer solstice have long been held in its place. And the ditch? It seems to have been a road for ritual processions.

In addition, archaeologists have discovered the "Superhenge" - a circular ditch with an embankment 500 meters in diameter, created in the III millennium BC. e .. Obviously, even then the local culture reached great power and swung at a somewhat unprecedented.

But not only architectural abilities surprise people of the Neolithic. For example, the skulls of that period found nearby were treated during the lifetime of their owners. That is, in order to heal a head injury, a local surgeon, using stone or bone tools, removed bone fragments and sewed up the wound - of course, without anesthesia and antiseptics. And after the operation, almost all the wounded survived - the fractures of the skulls were partially overgrown!

But back to Stonehenge

The construction of the giant stone ring was an incredible technical feat of the time, requiring enormous manual labor.

About 5,000 years ago, a large earthen fortification arose on the site of Stonehenge. Its ditch was dug out with deer antlers and wood tools (only the antlers survived). Around 2600 B.C. here the first stone circle was created (now it is internal) from relatively small stones. And the outer one was built around 2400 BC. e.

The largest stone in the new ring is a block of dense sandstone-sarsena weighing at least 40 tons. No deposits of this material have been found near Stonehenge. So where did they take it? 40 kilometers from here! Giant sarsen stones in that area lie on the surface of the earth, as if they were carefully laid out by some unknown giant. 82 of the largest were chosen for the "building of the millennium".

How the megaliths were delivered to the sacred valley remains a mystery. Even for today's technology, this would be a serious challenge. There is a version of wooden "sledges" or log rollers that were placed under the load, as well as levers that moved the colossus. Experiments have been carried out to confirm this assumption. It is also estimated that even in a straight line it would take 10 years for people to move those stones in this way. According to another hypothesis, they were delivered by rafts along the Avon River, and then by land. Although one does not interfere with the other.

And what about the stones from the early ring, which were called "blue"? They are much smaller, but more than 4 tons - also a solid weight for the transport of the Stone Age. They were cut down in the mountains of Wales, 240 kilometers from here! Skeletons of highlanders were found near the complex (judging by the composition of the bones), one of which had a shattered thigh during his lifetime. Only an object of great importance could cause such a thing. The fracture was open - a terrible wound! But she healed, the man survived. Did the miracle surgeons of the Neolithic help? And all in order to build something grand in the sacred valley.

The accuracy with which the stones of Stonehenge are set is surprising. The hand of an experienced topographer, architect and builder is visible. First, we outlined the correct circle. An axis was drawn through its center before sunrise. The stones were installed at the intersections of numerous arcs drawn by a skilled designer. The internal structure of the structure testifies to the existence of the concept of symmetry among the inhabitants of Britain 2 millennia before the Greeks introduced the term "mathematics".

And these gigantic objects are installed so that after 4600 years they are still standing as a reminder of the ambition and potential of building prescriptions. True, not all stone lintels have been preserved from above, which locked the tops of stones in a continuous circle. But those that are preserved do not just lie, but are joined to each other and to the supports with the help of grooves. With what precision it was necessary to install colossal monoliths so that several spikes simultaneously entered into their grooves!

The Stonehenge ring is clearly missing a few stones. Therefore, it was believed that the monument was not completed. But the drought of 2013 found at Stonehenge there are places where the earth pressed by megaliths did not give the plants an abundance of moisture - spots burned out in the grasses. So it turned out that all the stones of the structure stood in their places, and only then were moved by no one knows who and why.

Why was Stonehenge built? Most likely, for rituals associated with astronomical phenomena. The complex of stones is oriented to the sun and is dedicated to the calculation of certain days of the annual cycle - for example, the date of the solstices.

One can only imagine what an impression Stonehenge made on a man of the Stone Age. In the days of his youth, he could have struck us with you. In addition to its scale, the stone circle was white! And not thanks to the paint: it has been experimentally proven that the surface of each block, cleaned with stone tools, shines with whiteness. True, such processing could also take ten years. But what will you not do for glory through the ages and for the divine sun!

Golden age

Centuries passed, rituals changed. This is hinted at by the later change in the location of the "blue stones". And all because new peoples came to the sacred valley of Stonehenge. This is unequivocally indicated by the late kurgans of the bell-shaped goblets culture.

Goblets with scratched geometric patterns, made from local clay, have been found in the burial grounds of the valley. It was a clear cultural trend from the continent. This confirms the burial of an archer, in which a jadeite plate was found to protect the wrist when shooting: there are no deposits of this stone in Britain.

By that time, a long straight fence is attributed, traces of which were found in the ground by scanning. It consisted of wooden poles 7 meters high! Scientists can only explain the purpose of the structure by organizing the movement of pilgrims.

It’s just that at the Stonehenge ring they found the burial of a man shot at the same time by three arrows from different sides, which left scratches on the bones. It turns out that human sacrifices were made here.

Many artifacts tell that 2000 BC. e. Stonehenge became the center of British trade with the continent. Amber from the Baltics, copper axes from Spain, gold from Ireland are found here... But in Holland, for example, then samples of British tin appear. Boats made with metal tools could cross the English Channel in a day and carry up to 7 tons of cargo - models of such ships were made and tested by modern historians and enthusiasts.

The Bronze Age left Stonehenge with many domed tombs that once shone with white chalk. Only the nobility could hide like that, therefore, the Avon Valley was a place for the elite. Many historical treasures have been recovered from those burials. Among them is a bronze sword with a hilt richly decorated with miniature gold studs. Even modern jewelers with microscopes have a hard time replicating this technique.

More gold has been found in the Sacred Valley than in the entire UK! But the golden age was followed by decline. On the territory that used to be sacred and elite, some later signs of everyday life were found: the remains of dwellings, household utensils ... The role of Stonehenge as a pilgrimage center has come to an end. Before 1500 B.C. e. the construction of monuments ceased, the valley became the site of agricultural settlements. By that time stone circle Stonehenge was about 1000 years old, and even then it was perceived as a mysterious creation of an unknown civilization.

An excursion to Stonehenge can be made from London to organized group or on your own, driving along the M3 and A303 highways and taking an audio guide on the spot.

Can see:

• the oldest complex of megaliths, archaeological excavations, burial mounds and other Neolithic objects in the vicinity;
• reconstructions of Neolithic huts and scenes from the life of people 5500 years ago;
• interactive educational show "Standing among the stones" (a kind of time travel);
• an exposition of 250 archaeological objects, including jewelry;
• an exhibition of items related to the exploration of Stonehenge;
• exhibitions in the museums of the cities of Salisbury and South Wiltshire.

Municipal budget educational

gymnasium №12 institution.

Project work By

English language

Subject:"The Mystery of Stonehenge"

Executor: Gavrilov Egor

6B grade student.

Supervisor:

Suslova Ludmila Vladimirovna

English teacher.

Lipetsk, 2017

Content.

1. Introduction.

2. Main part.

2.1. What is "Stonehenge"?

2.2. Construction of Stonehenge.

2.3. Plan of Stonehenge.

2.4. Legends of Stonehenge.

2.5. Appointment of Stonehenge.

3. Conclusion.

4. List of used literature.

1 .Introduction.

stonehenge - stone city shrouded in secrets and mysteries of the past. The stone temple, which is described in many fairy tales and legends, still attracts the minds of scientists, researchers, archaeologists and tourists...

And so far, there are more questions than answers. I have always been interested to know for what purpose the people of antiquity created these huge geometric compositions; who built the gigantic structures and how these huge stones were transported.

I wanted to know more about this ancient monument. In addition, the unsolved mysteries of history always remain relevant. And the information in the textbooks was not enough to satisfy my curiosity. I decided to study this problem deeper and turn to different sources.

Objective of the project: Get acquainted with the history of the origin of Stonehenge and the legends associated with the monument of historical heritage.

Object of study: Stonehenge - as a historical and cultural heritage.

Subject of study: facts and conjectures.

Tasks :

select and analyze modern literature on the research problem;

Learn about the history of Stonehenge

learn the various legends about Stonehenge

summarize and systematize the information received

prepare a presentation

Hypothesis: If we analyze the information on this topic, is it possible to say with 100% certainty that Stonehenge is a “read book” or is humanity still not moving forward.

Research methods: theoretical analysis of available information, both on paper and on information carriers.

Stages of work on the project:

Selection of necessary literature

Information analysis

Generalization and systematization of the received information

Preparation of presentation and layout

Project presentations.

2. Main part.

2.1. What is "Stonehenge"?

Stonehenge is a world-famous megalithic stone structure located on the Salisbury Plain in England, located at a distance of about 130 km southwest of London. Translated from the Gaelic language, the word means "dancing stones." It received such a name because, according to the legends of the Druids, these stone blocks "danced at night, and sometimes went down to the river to drink water."

As it turned out, there is almost no exact data on Stonehenge, it is only impossible to refute the fact that from 1901 to 1965 this historical monument underwent reconstruction. The scale of the restoration became the subject of harsh criticism and even investigative journalism in the early 21st century. Christopher Chippindale, Curator of the Museum of Archeology and Anthropology at the University of Cambridge, acknowledged that "nearly all the stones have been moved in some way and are now set in concrete."

Even the name carries unsolved mystery. The very word "Stonehenge" is very ancient. There are several versions regarding its origin. According to one of the common versions, the name comes from the English phrase StoneHedge - a stone fence. It could also be formed from the Old English "stan" (stone, that is, stone) and "hencg" (rod - since the upper stones were fixed on the rods) or "hencen" (gallows, torture instrument). The latter can be explained by the fact that the medieval gallows were built in the shape of the letter "P" and resembled the trilithons of Stonehenge.

2.2. Construction of Stonehenge.

Having studied and systematized information on the construction of Stonehenge, we get the following picture: According to archaeologists, Stonehenge was built in three stages.

The first phase of construction consisted in the erection of the main ditch and adjoining ramparts, as well as small burial holes called "Aubrey Holes".

The second phase was marked by the appearance of the wooden structures of Stonehenge.

The third period of construction of Stonehenge is the most global and longest. First, a crescent is built from 80 blue stones weighing 5 tons, then it is removed and a circle of stones is erected in their place. 30 megaliths are placed in a circle with a diameter of 33 meters, the height of the stones is 4.1 m, the width is 2.1 m, and the weight is 25 tons. Jumpers 3.2 m long are laid on top of the stones. Five huge triliths in the form of a horseshoe are installed inside the circle (the weight of each stone is up to 50 tons). And around the circle create two rings of 80 previously removed blue stones.

2.3. Plan of Stonehenge.

According to many archaeologists, Stonehenge can be depicted as follows

The plan highlights:

1 - Altar stone, a six-ton ​​monolith of green mica sandstone from Wales
2-3 - mounds without graves
4 - fallen stone 4.9 meters long (SlaughterStone - scaffold)
5 - Heel stone (HeelStone)
6 - two of the originally four vertically standing stones (on the plan of the early 19th century, their position is indicated differently)
7 - moat (ditch)
8 - inner shaft
9 - outer shaft
10 - avenue, i.e. a parallel pair of ditches and ramparts leading for 3 km to the River Avon (en: RiverAvon, Hampshire); now these shafts are barely distinguishable
11 - a ring of 30 holes, the so-called. female holes; in the 1930s the holes were marked with round posts, which have now been removed
12 - a ring of 30 holes, the so-called. male holes
13 - a circle of 56 holes, known as holes Aubrey (Aubreyholes)
14 - small southern entrance

2.4. Legends of Stonehenge.

So, who erected this historical monument and why? The most discussed are the following versions based on the legends:

Geoffrey of Monmouth connected Stonehenge with the legendary British hero of antiquity, Merlin. The latter, judging by the legends, was a powerful wizard and mentor . He moved Stonehenge from the land near the Dnieper rapids to the meadows of England. In the new place, the granite structure froze in its grandeur.

On the days of the summer and winter solstices, the rays of the Sun that reached the zenith made their way exactly between the vertical stones of the largest 7-meter trilith, deployed with a wide side towards the alley. In those moments, the people standing next to me were enlightened: the innermost secrets of being were revealed to them, they received guidance for future actions and great achievements aimed at the good of the state.

Stonehenge was associated with the knights of the round table, who were equal among themselves, but recognized the primacy of King Arthur. Apparently, it meant the largest trilith. The images of the rest of the army, bound by bonds of honor and friendship, were imprinted in stone blocks, inextricably connected by powerful ceilings.

All blocks have non-standard shapes and differ from each other. In ancient times, this constructive solution once again emphasized the individuality of each person, his uniqueness, and powerful connecting floors - devotion to a common idea and goal. Well, the altar stone in the center of the cromlech was nothing more than , which many knights of the round table dreamed of getting.

2. The stone complex was considered the tomb of Boudicca. This woman was the wife of the chief of the Iceni tribe, Prasutag. The Iceni were one of the tribes of the Britons (Celts) who inhabited the southeastern region of Britain during the Roman rule. Prasutagus led the war against Rome, but was killed. His wife continued his work.

The governor of the Roman Empire in Britain, Gaius Suetonius Paulinus (he was praetor from 58 to 62), moved his legions against Boudicca. In a fierce battle, the Iceni were defeated. A warlike and courageous woman did not want to surrender to the Romans. She took poison. This tragic fact happened in 61.

Boudicca's funeral was a magnificent sight. On her last journey, she was escorted by the Romans, and the Iceni, and other tribes of the Britons. Where her body is buried is unknown. Hence the legend that, especially for a fearless woman, as a sign of respect for her, the Romans built an extensive stone burial- Stonehenge.

3. There is another legend. She calls the Druids the creators of Stonehenge. The latter were carriers of ancient knowledge among the Celtic tribes. Druids transmitted information of the past orally, from generation to generation, in the form of poems or legends. Creating a lyrical work is not given to everyone. Here you need a special gift, even talent.

Hence the isolation of the druids. They were a separate caste, uniting gifted people, not devoid of a creative streak. In modern times, they can be called the intelligentsia of the Celtic peoples.

They were the ones who built Stonehenge. It served as a gathering place for this intellectual creative elite. A place where druids exchanged invaluable information, competed in talents, and chose the best from their midst. The strange design of this structure remained a great secret: the Druids did not reveal it to anyone. Many generations living later than those ancient intellectuals could not unravel the mystery, and it has sunk into oblivion forever.

However, all these legends, most likely, have nothing to do with reality. In addition, it has been proven by radiocarbon dating that Stonehenge was built around 3500 BC. er, when there were no druids, no Merlin. It functioned for almost 2.5 thousand years and was abandoned only around 1100 BC. e.

2.5. Appointment of Stonehenge.

What functions this structure performed, what meaning it carried - a mystery behind seven seals. But you can highlight the most basic versions that take place:

1. Place of ritual ceremonies and burials (sacrifices).

2. Temple of the Sun and Moon.

3. A symbol of the power of prehistoric priests.

4. City of the Dead.

5. A pagan cathedral or sacred retreat in God's blessed land.

6. Unfinished nuclear power plant (fragment of the cylinder of the reactor compartment).

7. Astronomical observatory of ancient scientists.

8. Place of landing of UFO spaceships.

9. The prototype of the modern computer.

3. Conclusion.

In conclusion, I would like to say that each of us will find his own answer to the questions: who, why and why. Stonehenge was under construction for 2500 thousand years, during this time, any details were constantly changing in its ensemble, different generations of people worked on it, and most likely each generation saw in this magical and majestic building its own special meaning and used it in different ways.

Only one thing is certain, that neither the Druids, nor Merlin, nor the Romans (according to one of the versions, Stonehenge was built in the likeness of a Roman temple, where burial rites were held) were not involved in the construction. Stonehenge is a mystery that will likely never be solved, because time has worked too hard on it, and people have contributed by trying to restore it as they see fit.

It is clear that whoever the builders of Stonehenge were, they possessed tremendous knowledge in astronomy, mathematics, geology and architecture. And if we take into account that grandiose monuments and structures in prehistoric times were erected almost all over the world, then we can conclude that we, modern people, know practically nothing about own history except for the well-known facts. Therefore, it cannot be argued that Stonehenge is a fully studied historical monument, since there are many facts that still remain unexplored.