This is an artist's picture of the mysterious Stonehenge.
Click on image for full size
Windows to the Universe original image

The Stonehenge Monument

There are over 900 rings of stone located in the British Isles. The most famous of these stone rings is Stonehenge.

Stonehenge is in England. Stonehenge is a mysterious sight. There's these huge stones arranged in a circle, with some stones lying on top of others. Who could've built this monument?

Stonehenge is really old! It is between 4,000 and 5,000 years old! So, it was probably built by the Neolithic people of Britain. Neolithic is a fancy name for the farmers and people who lived in England long ago. Stonehenge might have been a temple or a graveyard. Astronomy did take place at Stonehenge, it's just difficult to tell exactly what went on there.

Stonehenge probably required more than 30 million hours of labor. Certain stones may have been brought from over 240 miles away! And this was before cars, trucks and highways! Stonehenge must have been important to this Neolithic community to put so much time and effort into it.

Last modified September 13, 2000 by Jennifer Bergman.

You might also be interested in:

Cool It! Game

Check out our online store - minerals, fossils, books, activities, jewelry, and household items!...more

What are Megaliths?

Have you ever seen a megalith? Maybe you have and you just didn't know it! A megalith is made of huge stones. They were put together by ancient people. Sometimes the stones look like a stone fort and sometimes...more

Astronomy at Stonehenge

Simple astronomy was probably practiced at Stonehenge over 4,000 years ago. These ancient observers would especially observe the movement of the Sun and Moon across the sky. Stonehenge actually lines up...more

The Stones of Carnac

The stones of Carnac, France, are very famous because there are a lot of them and because they are so old! The oldest stones found in Carnac are from about 4,500 B.C. That's older than the stones at Stonehenge!...more

Archeoastronomy

Man has always observed the sky. By watching the Sun and Moon, early man could tell what season was coming next. They had to know this to be able to farm and hunt. Archeoastronomy started in the 1960's...more

The Stones of Fossa

The stone rings and tombs of England and France are very famous. But, there are also stone structures in Italy. There are some neat stones in Fossa, Italy. They are standing stones. These stones form circles...more

Pentre Ifan Dolmen Tomb

Ancient people all over the world built stone structures. Some of the stone structures marked graveyards for these people. In Wales, there are some stones named Pentre Ifan that mark a grave. There is...more

Native American Astronomy

People have been living in North America for a long, long time. The first people to live there were the Native Americans. They didn't have clocks or calendars so they watched tides, the Sun, the Moon,...more

Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA