StonehengeResearch Paper for ARC 1701 Architectural History IValencia Community College Summer Semester, 2010Summary: Stonehenge catches my attention because of the mystery it holds. All theories about how it was built, why and for whom it was built have not been proven to this day. And that's what captures my attention the most, the mystery of how these primitive people were able to move these large stones so far away, and how they were able to align them almost perfectly for some unknown purpose. Stonehenge, dubbed the most photographed site in the world, attracts nearly a million visitors a year, nearly half of whom come from the United States (Wendy Mass 9). After Stonehenge mystified an awed generation of visitors and scholars who traveled to Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, 80 miles west of London, to marvel at the wonder of this ruin (Wendy Mass 8) but why is this ruin so magnificent? What attracts so many people? Is it because the question of who built it and how it was built still lingers in the minds of many people today. These questions have kept the mystery of Stonehenge alive for thousands of years, and the combined investigative efforts of historians, geologists, engineers, archaeologists, astronomers, chemists, and philosophers have continued to uncover more questions so many answers (Wendy Mass 8). The name Stonehenge is thought to derive from words meaning either "stone circle", "hanging stones" or "stone hinges". (Wendy Mass 8) it was originally called Stanhenge; stan, meaning stone in Old English, and henge, meaning “to hang.” There are several theories that the medium is considered pagan and not Christian. In medieval times, stones were stolen by stonemasons and peasants to build bridges and houses. In the early 14th century the stones were demolished as at that time stone circles were associated with witches. Until recently, people were allowed to touch the stones and even climb on them. The Public Order Act 1986 passed a new entry ban limiting the number of people who could legally walk in a procession, ensuring guards ensure stones are not moved. mistreated.ReferencesMass, Wendy. 1998. Lucent Books, Inc., San Diego, California http://www.fortunecity.com/roswell/blavatsky/123/stonecon.html http://www.sacredsites.com/europe/england/stonehenge.html http://www .nytimes.com/2008/05/30/science/30stonehenge.html