Stonehenge is a megalithic monument located near Amesbury, about 13 km north of Salisbury in the south of England.

It consists of a number of freestanding megaliths forming a circle. On top of the stones are large lintels that interconnect the pillars. This construction is encircled by a circular earth bank and a ditch with a diameter of approximately 110 m. There is an entrance at the northeast side, and one at the south side. The standing stones are about 4 metres high, 2 metres wide, 1 metre thick and weigh 25 tons. 74 stones would have created a complete circle but a number are missing and perhaps were never there. The lintels are about 3.2 m long, 1 m wide and 0.8 m thick.
According to archaeology, the construction was erected in several stages between 3100 BC and 2000 BC, but the earliest remains are from 8000 BC.
The purpose of this mysterious place is unknown. One might consider a religious or astronomical application but who would have put such an enormous effort into building this monument? The megaliths definitely did not come from the immediate vicinity and some may have even been transported from Wales, more than 250 km away. It is not known how people in those days were able to undertake such an extreme task without proper means.

See also literature Hawkins-1965 en Hawkins-2001.

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