Stonehenge - English Heritage
Stonehenge is an ancient stone circle monument, burial ground, and archaeological site located on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England. The site most likely had a religious function, displaying the power and wealth of the chieftains, aristocrats, and priests who were in charge of building it. Individuals used the sun-facing position for the purpose of conducting solar and lunar observations, calculating agricultural calendars, or as a site of ancestral or therapeutic importance. Annually, the Druids gather at that specific place to see the sunrise on the day of the summer solstice. Stonehenge, built between 3000 and 1520 BCE, is notable for its intentionally cut sarsen stones and the remote origin of its smaller bluestones, which were transported from South Wales, about 100–150 miles away. The name of the monument likely originates from the Saxon phrase "stan-henge," which may be translated as "stone hanging" or "gallows." Stonehenge was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986, along with over 350 adjacent buildings and henges.