Stonehenge Essays (1175 words) - Stonehenge, Henges, Aubrey Holes

Stonehenge Stonehenge Stonehenge, one of the great Seven Wonders of the World, but what do we really know about it. What was its purpose, how was it built and by whom. Many different answers come up when asking the question "What was the purpose of Stonehenge", some say that it was a horrid place, which the Druids used for religious sacrifice, but most others have a more positive idea. A temple of the sun, a Pagan Cathedral, or a holy sanctuary in the midst of blessed ground, or maybe a clock or even a place to Predict Eclipses. No one really knows what it was used for; this is due to a great number of facts surrounding all of these ideas. Many ideas come up when talking about why this great structure was built along with an equal amount on who built it. The Druids is the most common response because the Druids inhabited most of the area in which Stonehenge is built. The Pagans are another common answer to this age old question because of the building structure of Stonehenge how it resembles a Pagan Cathedral. Whoever built Stonehenge, they were an extremely advanced society either on purpose or by complete fluke. Many say that because of Stonehenge's exact solar and lunar alignment. That is was the most common thought is that it was built to predict eclipses for worshiping. The following essay is going to state the facts and myths about the great Stonehenge. By the end of this essay, hopefully a solid conclusion will be found to be the most plausible answer for Stonehenges construction. The moon, it has been a sight for all over time. Back long ago little was none of the reasons for an eclipses, it was thought to be a sing from the gods. In a society which worshiped gods for all the mysteries of the world, the eclipse must have been very special. The builders of Stonehenge must have been marveled at the sight of this holy event, which happened every four years. Most likely the great Stonehenge was built to be a prediction device for the eclipse. Many people have studied Stonehenge and many have found that the stones are mathematically placed to show when and eclipse might occur. "In favor of this solution - that the Aubrey holes were used as a computer ? are these facts: the number 56 is the smallest number that measures the swing of the moon with an over-all accuracy of better than 3 days, and lunar cycles provide the only method of long-range eclipse prediction related to the seasons of the year." So taking in to account that Stonehenge could predict eclipses another thought is that it was just used for predicting the full moon. The full moon meant new life, so perhaps they used Stonehenge for ceremonies to worship new life. Seasons changed, and the people of British Isles had no idea why all of a sudden the weather would begin to change and the day's length increase or decrease. That is why experts say that it was used to predict the winter and summer solstice and the spring and fall equinox. " The earth moves around the sun in an orbit that is nearly a circle, and the axis of rotation of the earth maintains an effectively fixed direction. The orientation of the sun to the two hemispheres of the Earth changes during the year, and this change causes the seasons." Stonehenge was not only, many other sites of similar age or older are linked to Stonehenge. There was the Cursus, and Woodhenge. Cursus "meaning Course in Latin" has similar features, which shows that Stonehenge was not by accident. "Archaeologists think that the inner Woodhenge structure erected after the outlying ditch and bank were placed, probably by the same Secondary Neolithic people who started Stonehenge." Woodhenge, some say it was like a rough draft of the monument, built to exact proportions from which builders could use while constructing the stone version. Another reason for Woodhenge is that it was used for housing for the men who built Stonehenge. With that in mind, you can draw the conclusion that the constructors cared for the people building their structure. To support that theory, objects like pottery and household odds and ends have been found showing us that a few people did live there at one point in time. Back when Stonehenge was built people had no way of telling the time. Perhaps the Druids wished to keep records of events. Stonehenge is said by some to be one widespread sundial, a clock