Stonehenge is one of the best-known ancient monuments in the world. Stonehenge has stood for over five thousand years and we still do not know the full use of this mysterious arrangement of stones. Stonehenge remains an ancient monument that still poses mysteries about its origin and purpose. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay At first, scientists had no idea who built Stonehenge. It is speculated that Romans, Egyptians and Phoenicians were the possible creators of Stonehenge. Subsequent studies showed that none of these scholars built Stonehenge. The truth about Stonehenge is that three different cultures contributed to this megalithic monument. The first group began construction around 3100 BC. Neolithic shepherds began the first step in building Stonehenge. The first part of this monument began as a modest circular ditch. Within this circle 56 holes were dug. These holes, later named Aubrey Holes in honor of their discoverer, have presented mysteries to scientists for years. These strange holes served two purposes. The first, and most important reason, is that these holes served as a lunar calendar. The moon has a cycle for its eclipses. Once a lunar eclipse occurs, another will not occur for nineteen years. After those nineteen years, the moon will be eclipsed once again. The next and final eclipse of this cycle occurs eighteen years after the previous eclipse. These years amount to fifty-six. Scientists believe that a stone was placed in a hole in the circle. Each year the stone was moved to the next hole. This way the ancients could keep track of the moon. The other reason has a morbid side. Human remains have been discovered in some of Aubrey's holes. These remains were first cremated, then placed in the pits. This suggests that Stonehenge could have served as a burial site and perhaps as a temple where human sacrifices were carried out. None of these theories have been proven, but these reasons are the only viable explanation for these holes. The second period is the one on which most data can be found. The second period began around 2100 BC. The Beaker people, a sun-worshipping group, added its first large stones to the monument. The first thing to do is remove all the stones already present. Thirty large stones were subsequently brought to the site. The stones, each weighing over five tons, were to serve as the pillars of the new monument. These stones were called Sarsen Stones, derived from what they are made of. These stones, however, are only two-thirds above ground. The other third is buried to prevent the huge pillar from collapsing. Beaker's people created two concentric circles, the inner circle measuring seventy-four meters in diameter and the outer circle eighty-six meters. The outer circle was later called the Sarsen Circle. The inner circle was never completed and no one has any evidence why. It appears they simply stopped, without clearing or removing any of the old stones. Some speculate that the project was too large to seem insurmountable to the people of Beaker. The third period began around 1550 BC The Wesset culture would add its own touch to the growing monument. The Wesset culture decided to dismantle the work of the Beaker people, but opted for a similar project. They decided to build a circle around the same spot that Beaker's people used for their circle. Above each pillar, however, was placed a large rectangular stone, with each side resting on neighboring pillars. This created a continuous circlearound the monument. Instead of a smaller circle within the larger circle, the Wesset culture placed a simple horseshoe. The horseshoe, just like the great circle, was topped with large rectangular stones. Given the distance they had to travel, this was quite a transportation problem. (Lacy, www.britannia.com/travel/magical/magic12.htm). The problem of getting the stones to the construction site was great enough to prevent most people from even attempting such a project. There were several ways to transport the massive stones to the construction site. The first was by land. Giant wagons were built to transport the smaller stones. The stones were loaded onto the wagon and transported eighty-five miles to Stonehenge. This method would not work for larger stones as it is not possible to make a wagon large enough. A wooden raft was built for these stones and they were sent down a nearby river. From the banks of the river the distance to Stonehenge was short. Placing the stones took some thought. First a trench five feet deep was dug. One side of the pit was sloped to act as a sliding axis for the stone once ready. A ramp was then built that led to the pit. Thick ropes were attached to the stone and then hoisted up the ramp and into the pit. Ropes, along with manpower, were used to lift the stones to their current position. The most perplexing mystery lies in the caps of the Sarsen Stones. How could you lift a twenty-ton stone three meters into the air? Two methods have been suggested to answer this question. The first approach uses a method similar to shaving the Sarsen Stones. A ramp would be built. Then the huge stone would be dragged up the ramp and onto the pillar. This is not the most efficient way because much more manpower would be required as the ramp would have a much greater angle than the ramp used for the Sarsen Stones. The most practical reason is that scaffolding was built. The stone was placed on this scaffold. One end of the rock was lifted and a beam was placed underneath. The lumber would prevent the stone from falling. The other end was raised and a beam was inserted under it. This process was repeated until the stone reached the correct height. The stone was then moved two feet to its final resting place. The Wesset culture had gone so far as to eliminate the optical illusions created by large stones. As an object gets taller, the top appears to narrow. To eliminate this problem the shape of the pillar was distorted. The upper parts of the pillars were wider and thicker than the lower part. So now, when viewed from below, the stone appeared to be symmetrical. Another problem encountered by the Wesset culture was the appearance of the stone surface. The surface seemed to have given way slightly. To correct this illusion, sculptors made the surfaces convex. To facilitate chiseling, fire and water were applied to the stone to make the stones expand and contract. This made the stone brittle and much easier to shape. As a finishing touch, the heads of the axes and daggers have been chiseled into the side of the Sarsen Stones. A lunar calendar, a temple, a burial ground; all of these have been proposed as uses for Stonehenge. Stonehenge has another use besides what was mentioned above. Stonehenge could accurately predict the seasons. This was useful knowledge during the New Stone Age since calendars were not in use. The ancients needed a way to know when to plant and harvest crops, and Stonehenge was that,.