Stonehenge, an Unsolved Mystery in Term Paper

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In fact, the Ancient Order of Druids was not organized until 1781 in Britain, and did not begin worshipping at Stonehenge until 1905 (Bender et al. 126). Thus, it seems highly unlikely ancient Druids built the henge. This should dispel this common myth, but many people still believe the Druids were responsible for Stonehenge.

It is interesting to note that Stonehenge is not the only "henge" in Britain. In fact, there are numerous henges, or circular banks with a ditch located inside the bank (Atkinson 152). These henges actually took their name from Stonehenge, which is the most elaborate of the existing henges. In addition, there have been numerous myths surrounding Stonehenge in modern history. In Medieval times, folklore said Arthur's magician Merlin used Stonehenge for religious ceremonies, and during the Renaissance, folklore attributed the prehistoric temple to Greek or Roman builders (Castleden 9-12). As society and culture has evolved and gained new technologies, the origins of Stonehenge keep changing. Perhaps someday there will be enough information, or new dating techniques, that will allow archaeologists to pinpoint the time period when Stonehenge was built, and who built it.

Many people believe Stonehenge is a religious temple, in fact, that is the prevailing view of scientists and architects. However, that may not imply the same meaning and use as today's houses of worship. Author Atkinson continues, "Indeed it may well have been used for many activities which today have no overt connection with religious belief or practice, such as political councils and the dispensing of justice; or even for more frankly secular purposes like the holding of markets" (Atkinson 168). The prevalence of henges throughout Britain (and only in Britain, by the way), indicates they were important to the culture and society of the time. Whether they were temples or not may never be known, but it seems certain that so much work went into them; they had to serve more than one purpose to be viable in society.

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Many people also believe the builders of Stonehenge understood the moon, sun, and stars, and laid out the henge as a kind of Earthly timekeeper, or marker of the seasons. Many visitors still believe this, as author Barbara Bender and her co-authors notes, "Many of them, like the Druids, believe that there are psychic forces at Stonehenge -- energy fields, leylines -- or that it is a temple for the worship of the sun and the moon, for the renewal of seasons" (Bender et al. 128). However, writer Atkinson dispels that myth by going back in time. He notes, "[W]hen Stonehenge was built the point of midsummer sunrise was appreciably further to the west (that is, to the left of the observer), so that by the time the sun had climbed to a position directly over the Heel Stone it already stood clear of the horizon by a space equal to about half its apparent diameter" (Atkinson 16). Thus, even though the sun and moon do rise over certain points in the Stonehenge circle, and it seems to be set to mark the Summer and Winter Solstices, the orientation of the sun and moon have altered in the millennia since it was built, and would not be in the same place today as they were in ancient times. Thus, another myth about Stonehenge seems to be nothing more than popular folklore, rather than fact.

In conclusion, modern man may never know just who built Stonehenge, or why it was built. However, archaeological studies periodically continue at the site. Perhaps with advanced techniques and more study, one day humankind will understand this unsolved mystery, and understand how ancient peoples erected such a massive and enduring monument. Whatever its purpose was, Stonehenge is still magnificent and awesome today......

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