What is Stonehenge?
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, made of a ring of huge standing stones. Built in stages from about 3000 BC to 1500 BC, it is one of the most famous ancient sites in the world.
The large sarsen stones, weighing up to around 25 tonnes, came from the Marlborough Downs, about 25 kilometres away. The smaller bluestones were brought from the Preseli Hills in Wales, about 240 kilometres away.
How the stones were moved remains a subject of research, but they were probably dragged on sledges and rollers by large groups of people.
Purpose and solstices
The purpose of Stonehenge is still debated. It may have been a burial site, a ceremonial center or a calendar. The stones are aligned with the sunrise at the summer solstice and the sunset at the winter solstice.
Thousands of people gather at Stonehenge for the summer solstice each June, when visitors are allowed among the stones.
Stonehenge is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, together with Avebury, another stone circle. A visitor center displays artifacts and a reconstruction of Neolithic houses. The site is managed by English Heritage.