Archaeologists
believe it was constructed from 3000 BC to 2000 BC. The surrounding circular
earth bank and ditch, which constitute the earliest phase of the monument, have
been dated to about 3100 BC. Radiocarbon dating suggests that the first
bluestones were raised between 2400 and 2200 BC, although they may have been at
the site as early as 3000 BC.
One of
the most famous landmarks in the United Kingdom, Stonehenge is regarded as a
British cultural icon. It has been a legally protected Scheduled Ancient
Monument since 1882 when legislation to protect historic monuments was first
successfully introduced in Britain. The site and its surroundings were added to
UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1986. Stonehenge is owned by the Crown
and managed by English Heritage; the surrounding land is owned by the National
Trust.
Stonehenge
could have been a burial ground from its earliest beginnings. Deposits
containing human bone date from as early as 3000 BC, when the ditch and bank
were first dug, and continued for at least another five hundred years.
The
Neolithic Britons who built the monument are genetically distinct from the
Modern British. There is evidence to suggest that over 90% of the Neolithic
British DNA was overturned by a population from the Lower Rhine characterized
by the Bell Beaker culture, who likely spoke an Indo-European language. It is
not known if warfare, disease or just continuous large scale immigration caused
their replacement.
No comments:
Post a Comment