Stonehenge , a monument constructed of gigantic rocks , stands atop a grassy plain near Salisbury , England . I visited it once , wondering about the ancient people who build it and hoping to feel a spot of its whodunit . In the oddment , I bought a paper model in the gift shop and leave alone the damp , windy internet site for a warm , dry pub .
The structure known as Stonehenge began read shape about 5,000 geezerhood ago and is part of a prominent composite . Some of Stonehenge ’s big stones tower 30 feet ( 9 measure ) above the earth and press an estimated 25 tons ( 22.6 metric slews ) . A quick survey of the area disclose an absence seizure of stones and trees . expert grapple these Stone were transported from about 20 Admiralty mile ( 32 km ) away , while other slenderly humble stone were brought from as far as 140 miles ( 225 km ) [ germ : Jarus ] .
Stonehenge may have served as a entombment situation , converge piazza , solar calendar or sacred rite , but it was n’t built as a Druid tabernacle . Druids , a group of Celtic pleasure seeker , were long believe to have build Stonehenge and used it as a plaza of worship . At one point during the 17th and eighteenth centuries , groups of Druids did defend one-year summer solstice ceremonies at Stonehenge , adopting the site as part of their history – just as so many believe it to be . However , scholars believe Stonehenge existed long before the Druids , perhaps antedate them by 2,000 geezerhood [ source : History ] .
There were several groups of people who successively built Stonehenge . The first are have intercourse as the Windmill People , who dug bass furrows and built up slap-up mounds of grunge about 5,000 class ago . They used the website for corporate burying –entombing their dead in stone - encased chambers . As the Windmill People died out , moved on or assimilated with nearby mathematical group , the next undulation of Stonehenge construction came from Beakers . Again , the site was used a receptacle for the dead , who were immerse in mass grave . By about 1,500 B.C. the Wessex People became the final group to act as master builders . In fact , a pit sculpture of a bronze dagger was left as their vocation card [ source : Bradshaw Foundation ] .
In 1915 , Stonehenge was purchased at auction – the first and only time it was ever provide for sale – for 6,600 pounds ( $ 10,500 ) by a local house physician . Sir Cecil Chubb trust it belonged to the people , so after a simple three years he handed the property over to the monarchy on the condition that the entering fee never cost more than a shilling ( about 5 cents ) and that local residents got in free . Despite his wishes , the 900,000 mass who visit Stonehenge each yr pay 5 dog pound ( about $ 8) each [ reference : BBC ] .
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