Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Stonehenge in England


Stonehenge has fascinated people for hundreds of years. This mysterious structure of giant stone blocks in southern England receives more than 1 million visitors each year. Although no one is certain, experts believe people built Stonehenge in ancient times as a tribal gathering place and religious center.
Archaeologists suggest that Stonehenge was built between 2800 and 1500 B.C. in three separate stages. Overtime, people changed the look of Stonehenge. They added to and rearranged the enormous stone blocks. Archeologists believe the stones originally sat in three rings with two horseshoe-shaped structures in the center.
Only parts of the third ring and horseshoe center remain today. Some of the center stones stand 22 feet (6.7 meters) tall and weigh 30 to 40 tons (27 to 36 metric tons).