Why Was Stonehenge Built?

1. 63

   PhoenixVposted 12 years ago

   Why Was Stonehenge Built?
   
   What was the reason that Stonehenge was built?

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2. 68

   Bretsukiposted 12 years ago

   Hello,
   
   as there is no written record as to the original purpose of Stonehenge all answers will be supposition.
   
   It has been suggested as an interplanetary landing spot for ancient aliens, most unlikely to being an unfinished tomb for an ancient warlord or king; possible.
   
   The most likely is that it was possibly a solar calendar, the alignment of certain stones make predictions of the longest and shortest  days of the year clearly predictable.
   
   A major debate now rages as to whether the solar solstice at mid summer was the main celebration, or the midwinter solstice.
   
   Personally I would go with Stonehenge being more important as a marker for the midwinter solstice. For an agricultural society knowing when to prepare to plant crops would have been more important  against knowing when the longest day had passed, there is little  reason to my mind knowing the longest day as this occurs at one of the periods of activity for farmers and any farmer would have been able to assess the status of his crop by looking at the crop not by looking at Stonehenge.

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3. 64

   Gypsy Willowposted 12 years ago

   Bretsuki probably has it right. Recent excavations have cited it as a place of healing.

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