Stonehenge

• Completed in the late Neolithic period.
• Stones weigh between 50,000 -80,000lbs
• It was constructed by ancient Britons

Even though we know who constructed it, it is still relatively uncertain how it was done and what purpose it served. Because of its configuration, and because of the burial sites located nearby, we know that it was an important ceremonial/ ritual destination.

Near Stonehenge there are two types of burial sites:


Long Barrows: These are long underground burial chambers/ communal tombs, constructed before Stonehenge. The arrangement of bones within is inconsistent, it does not show one specific burial tradition. The long barrow in the closest proximity to Stonehenge is 340 feet in length and contains 5 rooms. It is said to hold the bones of up to 25 generations of people. The entrance to a long barrow is in the shape of a trilithon, and much of the interior structure is similarly constructed.


Round Barrows: These are large round burial mounds meant for only 1 person, constructed after Stonehenge. There are over 150 of these in the surrounding area of Stonehenge. The individual buried was rich, important, powerful or all of these things. Individuals were buried with treasures, jewelry, weapons, etc. - symbols of their status.