Stonehenge Guided Tours

Seventeenth century depiction of Stonehenge from the Atlas van Loon

Stonehenge remains one of the world’s enduring mysteries. Who carved these enormous stones, moved them hundreds of miles, and erected them upon Salisbury plain–and why?

Archaeologists estimate that the first major construction began at Stonehenge around 3,100 BC, when workers dug a large, circular ditch around the site and piled up the resulting dirt in a round bank. But the interesting part of this phase of construction is the third circle inside the first two, consisting of 56 graves, atop which bluestones may have once stood. The bones of deer and oxen were also placed in the surrounding ditch.

Were these sacrifices, or was Stonehenge originally just a cemetery, perhaps for the community’s most important members?

The second stage in Stonehenge’s development, from about 3,000 BC to 2,600 BC, involved the building of wooden structures and further burials. Interestingly, Neolithic

In a new study, archeologists have proposed the claim that Stonehenge and other ancient stone monuments were probably used for special moonlit ceremonies which would have taken place deep in the night. These Neolithic structures have always been thought to have been used primarily in the daytime, as the rocks at various stone monuments are meant to align with the sun, one example of which would be Stonehenge lining up in perfect fashion for the yearly Summer Solstice. (Inquisitr)

• An analysis of Hendraburnick Quoit in Cornwall revealed multiple carvings visible in moonlight or low sunlight – suggesting the stone was viewed at night
• Archaeologists Dr Andy Jones of the Cornwall Archaeological Unit and Thomas Goskar found a total of 105 engravings on the axe-shaped stone
• Dr Jones believes many more markings would be found at sites across the country if the monuments were looked at in a different…

Marden Henge is the third ‘super-henge’ in Wiltshire, alongside Stonehenge and Avebury. In July 2017 there is a fantastic opportunity to find out more about prehistory and these enigmatic henges before a visit to see the site being excavated by archaeologists from the University of Reading.

TOURS ON SATURDAY 8th JULY, TUESDAY 18th JULY & THURSDAY 20th JULY 2017
£30 (£20 WANHS members) – booking essential

A specialist Archaeology tour which starts by exploring the award-winning galleries of the Wiltshire Museum. The Museum will also have a special exhibition about the excavations at Marden Henge featuring some of the finds from previous seasons.

After lunch there will be a guided tour of the excavations (student guides) – with a chance to see archaeologists in action and to find out about the latest discoveries.

Tour Itinerary:

10.30 – Visit Wiltshire Museum, tea/coffee served on arrival. Museum specialist tour.
12pm…

Well, the bad news is you put Sarsen A where Lintel B should go. The good news is that it should only take about 200 man-hours to fix it!

Stonehenge is one of prehistory’s engineering marvels. Many of us picture it as a ruined circle of stone, associated with druids, all kinds of astronomical observations, and maybe even magic. Unfortunately, most of that image is probably inaccurate. Fortunately, though, there is plenty of evidence that Stonehenge was both important and impressive.

One of the major things I found in my research (which I enjoyed so much that I decided to split it into two posts!) is that there’s relatively little that’s known for sure about Stonehenge. This makes sense once we remember that its building and all relevant activity at the site was prehistoric, with no written records to bear witness to details. Not only that, the earliest excavations were…