What is the historical significance of Stonehenge?

Question

I mean, beyond it's age, why is it so important?

Answer 1

It affirms man's intense interest in the Cosmos. It has been shown to be a very sophisticated calendar tracking the Moon, Sun, planets, and changes of seasons.

The mystery of how the stones were put in place is only part of the wonderful mystery. Some scientest claim they were aligned within hundreths of an inch to reflect the relationships of the Cosmos.

It has been suggested that it developed over hundreds if not thousands of years starting with a few wooden poles that alligned the rising and falling of the sun each year.

Answer 2

OK some of the peole who have answered this have got it wrong...

it was not (and is not) unique - far better stone circles survive. However, it is one of the best known remnants of Druidic (and possibly pre-Druidic) religion in the world.

Certainly, it is alligned so that during the summer solstice, the Sun rises alligned with certain stones - in a similar way to how other ancient buildings are alligned with the Sun or stars at certain dates (the Pyramids, for example). It has also been suggested that it charts the rising of the Moon and the setting of the Sun on certain dates too.

So possibley it was used as a giant calender (although religious in use) - the Druids were able to interpret astronomical data through ceremony, amnd allow the farmers to know when to sow seed, when to best hravest etc etc.

As the Druidic religion was destroyed by the Romans, we do not really know what or why Stonehenge really was. But it does seem to have been developed continuously for thousands of years, and so was probably an important site for the monolithic culture. The monolithic culture existed in Europe from modern Spain, up through France, in Britain, North Germany, and Scandinavia, but not much is known of it - it was destroyed by the Romans and other invaders, leaving only its relics such as Stonehenge and some burial mounds.

The monolithic culture fascinates people as it was how humans lived thousands of years ago in what is essentially Western Europe, but we know less about it than we do of the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Persians, Incas etc.

Answer 3

Just to get you thinking a little, do you realise that when Stonehenge was built, the pyramids were as old as Stonehenge is now! Makes the pyramids even more amazing!
There are also a lot of other stone and wooden henges in Europe, Stonehenge is not the only one!

Answer 4

Stonehenge was built in the B.C. era. Archelogists now believe it was used as a temple for worship at the summer and winter solstice. The sunrise and moonrise line up with certain stones in the circle. There was an interesting show on the history or discovery channel about it, they actually recreated Stonehenge out of styrofoam and studied the movements of the sun and moon.

Answer 5

The significance of Stonehenge and other places is that they were gateways to other worlds, used by the ancient visitors.

Source Book Fool's First Steps by Chris White. Excellent. Explains about the pyramids, angels, aliens, etc. etc. Also read Zechariah Sitchin for more revelations and historical sources.

Answer 6

the formation of it is important.

"Stonehenge is a megalithic monument on the Salisbury Plain in England, about 85 miles southwest of London. It consists of a ditch and bank surrounding huge stones -- many weighing between one and 45 tons -- arranged in circle and horseshoe patterns, along with a lane connecting it to the nearby River Avon. Construction began around 3,000 B.C. and continued until about 1,100 B.C.

Unfortunately, the people who built Stonehenge didn't leave much evidence of why they built this massive structure. So writers and researchers through the ages have pondered the stones and come up with their own stories about this prehistoric creation. "

Answer 7

It is important because it is still a Mystery nobody knows for sure the significance and the meaning of the stones alignment, not even the strenth needed to be ordered like that.

Answer 8

Because no one knows it's significance, why and when it was built, there are no facts apart from proof that the stone came from the pembrokeshire hills and transported te the sight.
Of late the druids have claimed it to be of their religion, but like all other religions, it's phony, and the claims made up to suit.
It's claim to fame is simply, it's there, It's old and it's a mystery.

Answer 9

The strongest theory is that it was to be a burial mound for a great king. Burial mounds all over europe have similar ( but much smaller) gated structures which serve as entrances to tunnels in the earth-covered mound.Again they are typically aligned with mid-summer sun-rise, venus,mars,etc.

Answer 10

Because we the so called modern man, ( man used in the general sense don't yell at me ladies), don't really know the answer of why and how of it. And if there is one thing that we can't stand not knowing the answer hmmmm sort of explains this whole Yahoo thing doesn't it.