Last Summer I could finally understand how it felt to be in that man-made circle of unbelievable pre-historic standing stones. Arguably one of the world’s most recognized monuments of all time. These are my thoughts.

Alright, first things first. Yes, there’s a lot of marketing and you might think it’s another touristy trap. Perhaps you’re right in both. But there’s a story here to be told about this World Heritage Site and best known prehistoric monument in Europe. This is not just a bunch of stones in the countryside in Wiltshire, England. This is one of the biggest mysteries ever. I’ll tell you just 5 things that stayed in my mind. I closed my eyes, tried to reconstruct facts and I was blown away.

Much Older Than The Parthenon

It was not always the nice ring of stones that we know today but it’s believed that the enormous sarsen stones were raised 5,000 years ago. Yes, 3000 BC. To give you some context, the Parthenon in Greece is around 500 BC, the Colosseum in Rome is about 500 AD, Easter Island is 1,000 AD and Machu Picchu 1,500 AD. Stunning.

Unknown Creators, Unknown Records

This is the point. All the mystery is about this. No written records. There’s some documentaries and theories but nothing for certain. Some archaeologists believe it was a burial ground for important people back then and some say it was a ritual place and sick people were even cured by the monument’s powers. Let your imagination go wild.

Stones Brought Over 280km

The bluestones were brought over 280km (175 miles) from south Wales, mostly by boats on the sea and rivers. The sarsens, some weighing more than 30 tonnes, were probably from north Wiltshire. Moving the stones must have involved hundreds of people. In fact, there’s a replica of the sarsen stone close to the visitor centre and you can try with some friends what it takes to move it!

Legends

Geoffrey of Monmouth was a British cleric and was best known for the chronicle of The History of The Kings of Britain. He said that Stonehenge was constructed by a wizard called Merlin. Believe or not, this story spread everywhere over centuries. He said the rocks were healing ones, called the Giant’s dance, which giants brought from Africa to Ireland for their healing properties.

Charles Darwin Study

A year before his death, he published The Formation of Vegetable Mould through the Action of Worms. He concluded that large stones were sinking into the ground due to the earthworm population.