Tim Laudan
Professor Debbie DeWitte
Art 1301
April 8, 2010
Stonehenge
General Description
Stonehenge is a megalithic rock monument of 150 enormous stones set in a circular pattern, located on the Salisbury Plain of southern England, the main portion of it built about 2000 BC. The outside circle of Stonehenge includes 17 enormous upright trimmed stones of hard sandstone called sarsen; some paired with a lintel over the top. This circle is about 100 feet in diameter, and, stands about 16 feet tall. Inside the circle are five more paired-and-linteled stones of sarsen, called trilithons, each of these weighing 50-60 tons and the tallest 23 feet high. Inside that, a few smaller stones of bluestone, quarried 200 kilometers away in the Preseli Mountains of western Wales, are set in two horseshoe patterns. Finally, one large block of Welsh sandstone marks the center of the monument. The exact reason Stonehenge was built is still not known, it is believed that Stonehenge was built as a sacred monument used for meetings and religious purposes. The key stones are aligned with major solar and lunar events including Solstices and Equinoxes. The most incredible thing about Stonehenge is that it’s considered a major engineering feat because of the size and weight of the stones, and the distances they had to be moved without any modern equipment.
Architectural Design
The 30 Sarsen stones, or sandstones, with lintels weighed up to 25 tons and stood about four meters high. The Bluestones, called Megaliths, weighed up to 4 tons and the Trilithons were the heaviest of them all weighing about 45 tons each. The first stone construction to be placed at the site was the Heel Stone which was 16 feet (4.9m) tall. The stones increased in size towards the centre of the monument. The shape of the stones alternated between tall, thin pillars and tall tapering stones. The Stonehenge Avenue was a ceremonial approach to the stones which was aligned to the midsummer sunrise. Along the Avenue is a 'gate' to the main monument called the "Slaughter Stone", It is believed that this may once have been one of a pair of stones. Two pillar stones, called the "Station Stones” are placed in the shape of a rectangle. It is believed that these may once have been four stones. A circle of 30 Sarsen outer stones, or sandstones, with lintels, and 60 Bluestones - smaller rocks, called Megaliths, set in a circle between the Sarsen stone circle and Sarsen stone horseshoe. Within the Bluestone horseshoe is the construction called the "Altar stone", and Five huge upright Sarsen stones, called Trilithons, in a Sarsen stone horseshoe. The stones of Stonehenge were placed so that they increased in size towards the center and alternated in shape between tall, thin pillar-like stones and stones of a tapering obelisk shape.
Harmony with Nature
Stonehenge symbolizes harmony with nature in the way that it is arranged to indicate summer solstice, and winter equinox. It also is thought to have been a product of 50 generations of people working together in its’ construction. Stonehenge seems to indicate a close relationship between nature, and the mathematical components of time. The stones are very carefully positioned to serve a functional purpose, but also serve aesthetic and symbolic functions.
Symbolism and Sacred Objects
There is evidence at Stonehenge to indicate that it may have been used as a burial site, as there were skeletal remains found. Stonehenge may have also been used as a crude surgical location with the belief that there were magical medical powers to help healing. Stonehenge simply may have been an astrological site or a religious site.
How it is used by Worshippers
The ancients observed it as a place of honor. Although it predates any known religion it is believed to have been used as a place of worship for Celtic paganism. The people that built Stonehenge had a vision and it served its purpose then. It is a place where thousands gather every year to view the Stonehenge and to give honor to its mystery. Those that visit believe they leave with a renewed sense of spiritual energy.
Sources
http://ejcts.ctsnetjournals.org/cgi/content/full/29/Suppl_1/S286
http://www.castles.me.uk/stonehenge.htm
Lazzari, M., & Schlesier, D. (2005). Exploring Art: A Global, Thematic Approach. California: Thomson Learning.
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