Stonehenge.. the unique historical landmark in the world

Arabiaweather.com - Ismail Qasimi - Stonehenge is an important archaeological landmark in the world, dating back to the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. It is a large stone monument located in Salisbury Plain, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Wiltshire, England.

This World Heritage site covers over 2,000 hectares and is considered one of the richest archaeological sites in Europe, home to some of the most important Neolithic and Bronze Age structures found in the UK.

Stonehenge is owned by the state and administered by the English Heritage Service. Most of the land at the World Heritage site is owned by local farmers, but a third is managed by the National Trust who are interested in a turf regeneration scheme.

Evidence indicates that the area surrounding Stonehenge dates back to about 8,000 years BC, but it became present during the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods when the vast majority of monuments were built around it. Work began on Stonehenge 3,000 years ago BC.

Studies indicate that around 2500 BC, stones were brought from Wales and Marlboro Downs, and Stonehenge construction did not end until 1600 BC, and most of the other monuments in the area such as Durington walls and Woodhenge date back to the same period.

A nearby fort was built during the Iron Age, and there is evidence to suggest that the area was settled by the Romans. The nearby town of Amesbury was settled later in the Saxon era in 979 BC.

Stonehenge and the adjacent lands were presented to the English authorities in 1918, the lands on Salisbury Plain became a military training ground, and a large number of military installations were established in the area including barracks, a railway and an airport.

Fortunately most of those structures have been removed, and the National Heritage Foundation acquired some 850 hectares of land around Stonehenge, for inclusion as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1986.