– photo by Henry Do, a Vegas based creative aerial photographer
Stonehenge is one of the most iconic historical monuments in the United Kingdom. Located in the English county of Wiltshire, this UNESCO world heritage site sees around 1 million visitors every year.
There are numerous theories on how and why this massive monument was built. Archaeologists have been trying to figure out the exact reason for its existence for centuries but haven’t arrived at any solid conclusion. The construction of the structure is believed to have happened in several stages. While the first stage began about 5000 years from today in the late Neolithic Age – which makes Stonehenge older than the pyramids of Egypt, the last stage was about 3500 years ago in the early Bronze Age.
Archaeologists have found evidence that some of the stones used in the construction were brought all the way from the Preseli Hills in Wales – about 300km away from the site of Stonehenge. Without any modern technology, how they moved the huge stones is still a mystery, though some believe that it was done with the help of sledges and ropes.
No one knows the exact reason why it was built. Many believe that this mysterious structure was once a burial ground and people gathered here for religious ceremonies. Other theories suggest that the ancient Britons used it as an observatory to track the movement of sun, moon and stars. There is one more theory that says Stonehenge was a place of healing – where the ill and injured people would visit looking for a miraculous cure.
Despite being an unsolved puzzle to historians as well as visitors, Stonehenge is one of the most popular destinations in the United Kingdom. Keep in mind that the closest you can get to the monument is about 10 yards (almost 9 meters) as it has been roped off since 1997 due to erosion of the stones.
