Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in Wiltshire, England about 2 miles west of Amesbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is the remains of a ring of standing stones set within earthworks. It is in the middle of the most dense complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England, including several hundred butial mounds.
Archaeologists believe it was built anywhere from 3000 BC to 2000 BC. Radiocarbon dating in 2008 suggested that the first stones were raised between 2400 and 2200 BC, while another theory suggests that bluestones may have been raised at the site as early as 3000 BC.
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 Avenury Henge. Stonehenge is owned by the Crown and managed by English Heritage while the surrounding land is owned by the National Trust.
Archaeological evidence found by the Stonehenge Riverside Project in 2009 found burial remains.
I first visited Stonehenge in 1965 when you could walk among the stones right up to it. It is now fenced in since some of the stones got loose from so many people walking on he ground around it.
It is still a moving and impressive experience filled with mystery.
