Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of
Wiltshire, about 2.0 miles (3.2 km) west of Amesbury and 8 miles (13 km)
north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world,
Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stones
set within earthworks. It is at the centre of the most dense complex of
Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England, including several hundred
burial mounds.
Archaeologists believe the iconic stone monument was constructed
anywhere from 3000 BC to 2000 BC, as described in the chronology below.
Radiocarbon dating in 2008 suggested that the first stones were erected
in 2400–2200 BC, whilst another theory suggests that bluestones may have
been erected at the site as early as 3000 BC (see phase 1 below).
The surrounding circular earth bank and ditch, which constitute the
earliest phase of the monument, have been dated to about 3100 BC. The
site and its surroundings were added to the UNESCO’s list of World
Heritage Sites in 1986 in a co-listing with Avebury Henge monument. It
is a national legally protected Scheduled Ancient Monument. Stonehenge
is owned by the Crown and managed by English Heritage, while the
surrounding land is owned by the National Trust.
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