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Stonehenge

Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument built thousands of years ago in the county of Wiltshire, England on Salisbury Plain. The monument consists of a circular setting of large standing stones which were brought from a quarry many miles away.

The main part of Stonehenge consists of two rings of stones. The outer ring is called the Sarsen Circle. It was originally made of thirty upright sandstone blocks. Only seventeen of these original stones are standing today. The second ring of stones is called the Trilithon Horseshoe because it is shaped like a horseshoe. Of the original ten upright stones that were arranged in pairs, only three of the five pairs remain upright.

No one knows for sure why Stonehenge was constructed. There are theories that say it might have been built by the Druids as a temple for worship of ancient earth deities or it was built as an ancient astronomical observatory. The newest theory of Stonehenge as a place for healing has emerged from a recent dig chronicled by the BBC.

In this mini unit, you can discover the history of Stonehenge and how it was constructed, learn about the recent dig, explore an interactive map and a virtual visit of Stonehenge, play a Stonehenge game and explore the science of Stonehenge with two student activities.

Reading

Stonehenge: historical background

Stonehenge dig 2008

Map & Timeline

Interactive Stonehenge map

Multimedia

Virtual Stonehenge

History of Stonehenge animation

Fun

Stonehenge game

Projects and Activities

Finding the center of gravity of a trilithon stone

Build your own Stonehenge

Recommended Resource

Build Your Own Stonehenge

In the past, it was believed that only giants, wizards, Druids, and aliens were extraordinary enough to have built the mythical Stonehenge, but our kit makes it easy for everyone, whether you can map a leyline or not.

Complete with 16 stone replicas, a beautiful placement mat, and a 32-page guide, it won’t take a trip to England for your family, friends, and coworkers to admire this ancient wonder.

Author: Morgan Beard
Amazon Price: $6.95