Stonehenge is a fascinating ancient monument located on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England. It’s one of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world and is about 5,000 years old! People from all over the globe visit Stonehenge to marvel at its giant stone structures and to wonder about its mysterious past.
Stonehenge is made up of two main types of stones: sarsen stones and bluestones. The sarsen stones are huge sandstone blocks, while the bluestones are smaller and come from a different type of rock. It’s believed that the sarsen stones were brought from about 20 miles away, and the bluestones came all the way from Wales, which is around 140 miles away! The ancient builders probably used sledges to drag the stones and floated them on rafts along rivers.
No one knows for sure why Stonehenge was built, but there are some interesting ideas:
Building Stonehenge was a huge project that took over a thousand years and involved different groups of people:
The stones are incredibly heavy! The bluestones weigh about 8,000 pounds each, and the larger sarsen stones can weigh up to 49,000 pounds. The builders used clever methods like digging holes, using wooden stakes, and ropes to lift and place the stones.
Stonehenge isn’t the only stone circle out there. Other famous ones include the Drombeg Stone Circle in Ireland and the Callanish Stones in Scotland. These sites show that ancient people across different places liked building with stones.
Stonehenge is a place full of mystery and wonder. Even today, people are still trying to figure out its secrets. Whether it was a healing site, a burial ground, or an ancient calendar, Stonehenge is a remarkable achievement of the people who built it. It reminds us of the creativity and skills of ancient cultures and continues to inspire our imaginations.
Build Your Own Stone Circle: Gather some small stones or pebbles from your garden or a nearby park. Try to create your own mini Stonehenge by arranging the stones in a circle. Think about how you might move larger stones if you were building a real monument. Discuss with your friends or family how ancient people might have transported and arranged such heavy stones without modern machinery.
Stonehenge Shadow Tracker: On a sunny day, place a stick or a small stone upright in the ground. Observe and mark the shadow it casts at different times of the day. Notice how the shadow changes as the sun moves across the sky. Discuss how ancient people might have used Stonehenge to track the movement of the sun and the changing seasons.
Imagine the Past: Draw a picture or write a short story about what you think life was like for the people who built Stonehenge. What might they have worn? What tools did they use? Why do you think they decided to build such a large monument? Share your story or drawing with your class and see how your ideas compare with others.
