On the Salisbury Plain in southern England, there lies a remarkable arrangement of massive stones known worldwide as Stonehenge. Some of these stones reach heights of seven to eight meters and weigh up to 28 tons, while others stand four meters tall and weigh as much as 50 tons. The main structure of Stonehenge consists of several complete concentric circles formed by these enormous stone pillars, outlined by a ditch that is over six meters deep and approximately 21 meters wide. The earth excavated from the ditch was used to create a bank. Adjacent to the inner side of the bank, 56 evenly spaced pits form another circle, known as the Aubrey holes.
According to archaeologists, the construction of Stonehenge may predate the oldest pyramids in Egypt, dating back nearly 5,000 years. How did the builders transport these massive stones from distances of tens or even hundreds of kilometers away? Some believe that Stonehenge may have been a site for executions, as a human skull dating back many years was recently excavated from the site. Another popular theory suggests that Stonehenge served astronomical purposes, as the main axis of the structure points to the location of the sunrise on the summer solstice, and a line drawn between two stones points directly to the sunset on the winter solstice.
However, the claim that Stonehenge functioned as an astronomical observatory has raised questions. Why did the builders choose to transport these large stones from far away instead of using lighter materials like wood and earth? Moreover, what is the connection between the human burials found in these pits and astronomy? As a result, many insist that Stonehenge was actually a mysterious religious site. Recently, some have proposed that Stonehenge may have served multiple purposes: as a site for religious ceremonies, a burial ground, and an astronomical observatory.
