Sacred Space

Stonehenge
General Description
One of Britain’s national icons, Stonehenge is a prehistoric circle of upright stones and is still a mystery. It was constructed over 5,000 years ago, and although historians cannot pin point any one reason for its construction, it is known that it was not constructed for any casual reason, because the creation took a lot of effort and time (Lacey).
Theorists think that the stones were brought from the inland mountains to the headwaters of Milford Haven by the use of roller and sledge, and then placed on rafts to travel to Somerset, and then floated down a river, once again, to West Amesbury, then having only a short distance to the Stonehenge site. The giant stones weigh as much as 50 tons each (Gerald). This was a lengthy and strenuous process, signifying that the construction must have been for an important reason. The monument’s assembly has been largely attributed to the people of the late Neolithic period (Lacey).
The Stonehenge of today is in a state of ruin because many of the original stones have fallen, or have been removed. Visitor contact has been prohibited since 1978 because serious damage occurred. Even the prehistoric carvings are wearing (Lacey).

Architectural Design
The architectural design of Stonehenge is believed to have been built in different stages. In the first stage, a 320 foot circular ditch was created, using deer antlers as picks. The ditch was 20 feet wide and 7 feet deep. Inside of the circle, 56 holes were dug, and two parallel stones were put up at the entrance to the circle. This first stage of Stonehenge is believed to have been used for 500 years (Rodney). The second stage of involves a semicircle of granite stones. These 80 stones, each weighing up to 4 tons each, came from mountains that were nearly 250 miles away. The third stage of Stonehenge construction is accountable for the stone circle that can be seen today. During this stage, a circle of upright sarsen stones, and each pair of stones as topped with a stone. Originally there were 30 upright stones, and only 17 of these still stand today. These stones weigh nearly 50 tons each (Gerald).

Harmony with Nature
Stonehenge has been argued to have summer solstice alignment because the opening of the Stonehenge is in the direction of the midsummer sunrise. Gerald Hawkins has argued that Stonehenge was created as an astronomical calculator (Gerald).

Symbolism and Sacred Objects
The astronomical significance of Stonehenge is very apparent. The Stonehenge site clearly had religious and social significance, and was connected to the rituals of the people, and may have played an important role in setting the calendar. (Rodney)

How it is used by worshippers
Modern day sun-worshippers head for Stonehenge, and in 2007, more than 24,000 worshippers visited Stonehenge for the Summer Solstice, and it has been increasing ever since (Wilshiretimes).