Stonehenge was built in three stages, the first stage was a circular earthwork which inside the Aubry holes were dug which would have contained wooden posts and may have been used as a ceremonial meeting place in the late Neolithic. The earthwork had two entrances which one aligned with the midsummer sunrise.

The next phase lasted three centuries and post settings were added to the centre of the earthwork but it has not been possible to work out what form they took. The ditch naturally started to fill in and cremation burials were placed inside and also in some of the Aubry holes.

The final stage was the addition of the stones starting with the blue stones from the Preseli mountains in Wales. Then the sarsen stones were brought in and set in a circle capped off with lintels, also the blue stones were rearranged at this point as well. The sarsen stones each weigh at least 25 tonnes and the blue stones weighed up to 4 tonnes. Also the processional avenue was added. The final phase lasted about 1,000 years.

To put Stonehenge in context it was in a very complex landscape and in the local area is the Curcus which dates at the beginning of Stonehenge and Woodhenge which was built when Stonehenge was in stage 3. Also about 20 miles away was Avebury and Silbury hill.

AVEBURY