I know I’m reaching a little ahead in class to discuss Stonehenge but I have always found it one of the more interesting topics in archaeology. I hope to dive into Stonehenge and the many theories that surround it more than what we will by just lecture alone. To aid myself in this, I’ll be referencing from britannica.com(see link->) http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/567331/Stonehenge. Stonehenge wasn’t much of a discovery by definition because, like the pyramids, it is above land and in plain sight for anyone in the Salisbury plain  where it is located. Stonehenge is about 8 miles north of Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. It is believed to have been built in six stages between 3000 to 1520 BC but the real purpose for its creation is a mystery still today. Many theories have been created in attempt to explain it’s purpose but every theory has flaws and discoveries have been made that discredit many of them. Of the many theories, an early theory was made by John Aubrey and William Stukeley and it stated that Stonehenge was a type of Druid temple. This was later discredited because Stonehenge was discovered to have predated the Druids by 2,000 years or so. One of the more popular theories as to the structure of Stonehenge, is it’s significance to astronomy. It was believed that Stonehenge was used for calendrical purposes to predict lunar and solar eclipses through the use of astronomy but, like so many other theories, it was also debunked. A more recent theory was proposed in 2008 by British archaeologists Tim Darvill and Geoffrey Wainwright that Stonehenge was a place of healing. People believed that the area had magical properties and could spontaneously heal injuries. Darvill and Wainwright proposed this theory through the discovery of the Amesbury archer, a Bronze Age skeleton that had an apparent knee injury. The Amesbury Archer had been found a few miles from Stonehenge.

Every theory that has been proposed about Stonehenge throughout history has been debunked by some other evidence that gets discovered. Unfortunately, the main thing that has been detrimental to the discovery of the true purpose of Stonehenge has been the destruction of  it. A lot of the stonework had been broken down and taken away for construction purposes. Also, the ground within Stonehenge had been severely disturbed by digging for various purposes, including possible buried treasure and archaeological excavation. I believe that with the advancement of technology, society will eventually discover the true reason for Stonehenge. It is one of the most iconic sites in the world and research on it will surely never cease.