Stonehenge :: essays research papers

In the hill country of northern England, many sites of St angiotensin-converting enzymehenge exist. Approximately 150 to 200enormous stones lie luxuriant on top of each other forming somewhat of an altar. Tall stones turn outupright surrounding the center stone which is bluestone. This is unlike the sandstone columnswhich surround it. This whitethorn not seem unusual at first however, there ar three main factors thatmake Stonehenge extremely odd. Each of these stones weigh tight-fitting to 4 tons. There are also noother stones in a radius of 15 miles. With todays sophisticated equipment the pitiable of theselarge stones would not be difficult, but one must remember, Stonehenge was construct approximately4800 B.C. Radiocarbon dating shows that these stone structures are older than the spectacularpyramids of Egypt, and the large cities of Rome. Of course Stonehenge is not as mature as the great(p) pyramids but it was built in an area which wasnt as advanced as the Egyptians or Romans.The outside stones are made completely of sandstone, this is at least 18 miles from thesite where the sandstone was quarried from. Each stone stands upright and are expertlybalanced. Stones of the same composition and size, rest on top forming a bill structure. In themiddle of these stones, giant pieces of bluestone model on the found in horse shoe like shapes. These stones are also called descry dolorite, and are not found within a 225 mile radius. In thevery center, a piece of Welsh sandstone lay as a monument. One of the most interesting facts about Stonehenge is that it is perfectly lined up with thewinter (December 21) and summer (June 21) solstices. This is when the beginning of summer andwinter when the Earths axis changes. As the sun rises over the horizon on those 2 days, itsrays go through a small hole in one of the rocks. The alignment is perfect. The other significantcharacteristic of these prehistoric masterpieces, is that absolutely no mortar or cement e xiststhroughout the entire structure. These huge stones lay balanced on top of each other with no mucilageor substance to hold them together. The only thing that stops these elephantine stones from fallingis a simple system of joints. Originally these structures were thought to be circles. In fact, manypeople still think they are circular however, they are not. Some have flattened sides, some are hexangular and some are elliptical. This is not easy to see with the naked mall which is why so