WORLD

One of the mysteries of Stonehenge is why its giant stones were dragged to an unremarkable hillside instead of being erected where they were originally found. One archaeologist might have an answer—some of the stones were already there. (Science Alert)

Learn a little more about the stones of Stonehenge, and test yourself with our 5-question Quick Quiz!

Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit.

Discussion Ideas

• New research investigates the possible origins of at least two stones at Stonehenge. What is Stonehenge?
  • What we know:
    • Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain, in the county of Wiltshire, in southwest England. Archaeologists think it was constructed over the course of more than 1,000 years, between the Neolithic (~3000 BCE) and Bronze Age (~1500 BCE).
    • Stonehenge consists of concentric circles and semi-circles of earthen ditches and mounds, standing timbers (now eroded), and upright carved stones. Some stones were freestanding, while others were topped by lintels. The largest stones reach 4 meters (13 feet) high, 2.1 meters (7 feet) wide, and weigh about 25 tons.
    • Stonehenge’s central “avenue” is aligned to the sunset of the winter solstice and the sunrise of the summer solstice.
    • The Stonehenge site includes hundreds ritual burial mounds, called barrows, as well as cremated remains.
      • Many of those buried at Stonehenge did not come from England. Archaeologists have unearthed remains of people from Wales, Brittany (on France’s Atlantic coast), the Alps, and even the Mediterranean.
  • What we don’t know:
    • Archaeologists and historians don’t know exactly what Stonehenge was used for, although almost all agree it was a multi-function site that served many purposes. Some ideas:
      • Due to the solstice alignment and the importance of solstices (midwinter and midsummer) to most ancient peoples, many historians think Stonehenge had an astronomical significance.
      • Due to the long-term effort involved in constructing the site, some historians think Stonehenge had a social, political, or spiritual function.
      • One theory suggests Stonehenge was a place of healing. This would explain the unusual number of illnesses and injuries suffered by those buried at the monument.
      • Another theory suggests Stonehenge was one part of a massive “ritual landscape” now recognized as the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site. In this context, Stonehenge may have been a cemetery or place of ancestor worship. Learn more about the site and the possible “roots of monotheism” with our video here.

• The Stonehenge stones that were analyzed are called sarsens. What are sarsens?
  • Sarsens are sandstone boulders that are common in southern England. “Sarsen” describes both the type of rock (which was used at several Neolithic monuments in southern England) and, in situ, the stones themselves.
  • Sarsen was one of two types of rock used to construct Stonehenge. (The other type is bluestone.)
    • About 80 blocks of sarsen are found at Stonehenge, including the largest stones on the site and those used in the iconic central circle. Take a look at this terrific diagram of the stones at Stonehenge here.
    • The sarsens at Stonehenge were quarried locally, from about 30 kilometers (18 miles) away in the Marlborough Downs. (Or, according to this new hypothesis, even closer …)
    • The bluestones at Stonehenge were quarried much further away. Learn more about them with our fun resource here.

• The Heelstone and Stone 16, the sarsens analyzed in the new research, are distinct from other stones at Stonehenge. How?
  • The Heelstone and Stone 16 are the only stones that were never carved or polished. They have a distinctly rough texture and uneven appearance compared to “dressed” stones, which have been deliberately carved with tools.
  • The Heelstone sits somewhat apart from the main stone circle, at the top of the so-called “Avenue.”
  • Perhaps most importantly: “When lined up, these are also the stones marking the horizon where the Sun rises on the summer solstice, and sets on the winter solstice.”
    • Looking away from the circle, the summer solstice sunrise appears in front of the Heelstone. Great photo of that here.
    • Looking toward the circle, the winter solstice sunset appears directly in front of the Heelstone. Great photo of that here.

• Why do archaeologists think the Heelstone and Stone 16 may have been in place long before the other stones arrived on Salisbury Plain—and long before people arrived on Salisbury Plain?
  • (Now might be a good time to remember that all the stones in Stonehenge actually formed millions of years before humans showed up on Earth. The new research is analyzing when the stones got to their present location. (A lot of the stones formed in what is now Wales, and you can check out how ancient engineers got them to Salisbury Plain with our nice map here.))
  • Mike Pitts, the archaeologist who conducted the new research, discovered two pits near the present locations of both stones, with stone impressions at their bases. Each pit was “too large just to hold a standing stone. It’s not unlikely that the stone had always been there, and was raised where it lay outside a great natural hollow.”
    • “The pits, like the stones, lay along a solstice axis—and the entire geometry of Stonehenge could have been built around this naturally occurring coincidence.” (!!!)

TEACHERS TOOLKIT

Science Alert: An Archaeologist Says Parts of Stonehenge Were There Long Before Any Humans

British Archaeology: Stonehenge Without Borders

Nat Geo: Stonehenge Quick Quiz

The Stones of Stonehenge

English Heritage: History of Stonehenge

UNESCO World Heritage: Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites

Nat Geo: New Discovery Solves a Mystery at Stonehenge

Nat Geo: Stonehenge and the Roots of Monotheism