Where Is Stonehenge?

Where Is Stonehenge?

Unravel some of the riddles of Stonehenge, one of the most famous and mysterious monuments in the world!Where is Stonehenge? That's an easy question to answer. It sits on the Salisbury Plain in Southern England. But what is the meaning of these strange circles of stones? Was Stonehenge a religious site to honor the dead? Or a sacred place of healing? Or perhaps an astrological calendar? These are much harder questions to answer. However, in an engaging and easy-to-read account, True Kelley puts forth all theories-past as well as current ones-about Stonehenge and the people who four thousand years ago managed to build this amazing monument.About the AuthorTrue Kelley is the author-illustrator ofWho Was Pablo Picasso? and the author ofWho Is Dolly Parton?,Who Was Abigail Adams?, andWho Was Roald Dahl?Excerpt. ?Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.Where Is Stonehenge? ?alisbury, England?In the 1830s, a group of four friends climbed out of a horse-drawn carriage. The ladies and gentlemen had come up with an interesting idea for the weekend. But now they were stiff and tired from traveling all day from London. Tourists often came to Salisbury to see the cathedral. It had the tallest spire in the country. But this group had planned a different adventure. ?After resting overnight in town, they crowded into a small carriage and were driven across the countryside. They closed the blinds on the carriage windows so they couldn?t see out. Why? ?At the end of their journey, they would reach a very special place. They wanted it to be a total surprise. So, in a giddy mood, they traveled on in darkness. It was bumpy, and the carriage seemed to be going very fast. Finally, the driver pulled the horses to a stop and told the passengers to open the blinds. ?Everyone gasped at what they saw! The carriage was parked among giant stones standing in a circle. Some stones had fallen on the ground and were broken. But the stones still standing were taller than three men . . . What was this strange and amazing place called? ?Stonehenge! ?Some of the standing stones had other huge stones across the top of them. They looked like giant door frames. It was hard to imagine how people could have built such a thing thousands of years ago. Many people thought it had to be made by giants or by magic. ?The tourists stood awestruck in the middle of the circle. They had seen paintings of this place and read poetry about it. Being there in person was very different. Even in a group of friends, there was a feeling of loneliness. There was not a tree in sight. The almost-flat land seemed to go on forever. The circle of stones appeared to jut out from the emptiness around them. ?The wind blew cold, and gray clouds raced across the sky. Even with the wind, it was very quiet. Quiet and mysterious. ?People have wondered about Stonehenge for more than a thousand years. How old is it? Where did the stones come from? Who built it and why? And how? ?Unlike the Great Pyramids of Egypt, which are almost as old, there is no ancient written record of Stonehenge. But like the Great Pyramids, we know Stonehenge must have been important to ancient people because it took such great effort to build. ?Now, with modern technology, archaeologists have learned almost as much in the last fifteen years as they knew for centuries before. (Archaeologists study objects from the past to find out about the people of long ago.) But many mysteries still remain. Those mysteries make Stonehenge one of the most fascinating places in the world. ?hapter 1:?ircles of Stones? In the south of England, about ninety miles west of London, sits the Salisbury Plain. It is a lonely-looking area. There are few trees. Not much grows except grass. Few creatures live there except sheep. Yet the Salisbury Plain is famous. Well over a million people travel there every year. They come from all over the world to visit one of the