Stonehenge, situated on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire probably is the best known of the Wessex monuments. The sheer scale of the stones is phenomenal. (Pictured left is a view from inside the stones, the person in the circle is 5'8''tall). The upright standing stones are called monolith; two monolith topped by a lintel (the horizontal stones) are called a trilithon. The architectural feat is even more outstanding if one considers that the builders of Stonehenge had no access to sophisticated surveying and lifting equipment. Exactly how they lifted the huge monoliths still remains a mystery.

Stonehenge went through several phases of development. the monument which is visible today is just the ruin of its last phase. conventionally henge monuments belong to the Neolithic, rather than the following Bronze Age. The first Stonehenge was constructed around 2800 BC and abandoned and subsequently remodelled several times. The last phase was built sometime around 2000 and 1500 BC (the Early Bronze Age) and certainly abandoned at the end, or soon after that period. Two types of stone were used: Sarcen from the surrounding area for the huge trilithons and Blue Stone for the still large stones which formed the inner ring. the Blue Stone was taken from Wales, several hundred (!) miles away.

The outer ring of Stonehenge III was formed by a circle of upright stones, joined by lintels. The structure was help together by mortice joints (see illustration left), which were pecked out of the stones, probably using simple stone hammers. The achievement is even more impressive considering how difficult it is to produce precision joints such as these, even when modern technology is available

Stonehenge is just one of many henge monuments in the Wessex landscape. Most are earlier in date, and many were even abandoned at an earlier time.The use of stone most certainly is unusual, although many other henges had similar, often even grander, wooden structures. Aside from the stone settings,Stonehenge has one other atypical feature: all henges are surrounded by a ditch and bank. At Stonehenge the bank is outside the ditch instead of inside. Much has been said about the solar alignment of the monument. In all

probability this was deliberate, although this does not make the monument either an observatory or a giant calendar. As a final note: there is little chance that Stonehenge was a ritual centre for druids. Druids were Celtic (Iron Age) priests, who worshiped trees, groves and springs. Furthermore Stonehenge was abandoned long before the advent of druids or the Iron Age. (sorry folks)