Stone circles such as Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England, were probably tribal gathering places for ritual observances, typically focused on the change of seasons and the growth of crops. Beginning as early as 3,300 B.C., standing stones, often placed in a circle or ellipse, were built around the British Isles. Many still exist -- perhaps as many as a thousand -- but others were lost over the centuries as modern-day societies expanded. In addition to Stonehenge, the most popular stone circles visited by tourists are Avebury in Wiltshire, Castlerigg in Cumbria, and the Rollright Stones in Oxfordshire.
A monument like no other:
- Stonehenge’s ring of massive standing stones is one of the most famous sites in the world. It is located in a complex of late Neolithic and early Bronze Age monuments, as well as several hundred burial mounds.
- In 2008, radiocarbon dating of Stonehenge suggested that the first stones were raised between 2,400 and 2,200 B.C.
- The circular earth bank and ditch surrounding Stonehenge appear to be the earliest phase of the monument, having been dated to about 3,100 BC.