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The Mystery of Stonehenge Thousands of years ago, an ancient civilization raised a circle of huge, roughly rectangular stones in a field in what is now Wiltshire, England. Stonehenge, as it would come to be called, has been a mystery ever since. Building began on the site around 3100 B.C. and continued in phases up until about 1600 B.C. No written records exist to explain how or why it was built. How was Stonehenge built? The biggest of Stonehenge’s stones, known as sarsens, are up to 30 feet (9 meters) tall and weigh 25 tons (22.6 metric tons) on average. Scientists believe that they must have been brought from Marlborough Downs, a distance of 20 miles (32 kilometers) to the north. Transporting the stones that distance can’t have been easy. Smaller stones, referred to as “bluestones” (they have a bluish tinge when wet or freshly broken), weigh up to 4 tons and come from several different sites in western Wales, having been transported as far as 140 miles (225 km). It’s unknown how people in antiquity moved them that far. Scientists speculate that during the last ice age glaciers might have carried these bluestones closer to the Stonehenge area. An earlier theory was that the builders could have used rafts to transport the stones over the water. However, more recent research suggests that this method can’t have been used because of the weight of the stones. 1. Where do scientists think the Sarsen stones came from? - Marlborough Downs 2. What does the writer say about transporting the Sarsen stones? - It can’t have been easy to transport them. 3. Where did the blue stones come from? - They came from different sites in western Wales. 4. How do scientists think the blue stones were transported to the site? - By the last ice age glaciers (water). What was Stonehenge? There are a number of theories as to what the site was used for. Archaeologists agree that the site must have had a spiritual significance. It may have originally been a cemetery, according to a new study. After examining bones exhumed near the stones, scientists believe that the burials must have taken place at the same time as Stonehenge was built, suggesting that the stones could have been gravestones for religious or political elite.

1. What are scientists certain about the significance of Stonehenge? - Stonehenge must have had a spiritual significance. 2. Scientists are sure that Stonehenge was a cemetery T/F Stonehenge may have been constructed with the sun in mind. One avenue connecting the monument with the nearby River Avon aligns with the sun on the winter solstice; archaeological evidence reveals that pigs were slaughtered at Stonehenge in December and January, suggesting that ancient pagan sun celebrations might have taken place there. Steven Waller, a researcher in archaeoacoustics has revealed that before part of the ring collapsed it must have had excellent acoustics and speculates that it might have been an ancient concert hall or cathedral. 1. Why do scientists think the builders chose the location for the stones? - Because of the ancient pagan sun celebrations. 2. What other events possibly happened at Stonehenge? - Burials. 3. What does Steven Waller say about Stonehenge? - It might have been an ancient concert hall or cathedral. Wild theories about Stonehenge have persisted since the Middle Ages. Some say Merlin the wizard may have cast a spell to make the rocks as light as a feather to help with the construction. UFO enthusiasts believe that ancient aliens could have built Stonehenge as a spacecraft landing pad. 4. What unscientific methods for Stonehenge’s construction have been suggested? - By aliens or wizard.