Megalithic construction of Stonehenge in England resigned from large Sandstone more than 4600 years ago, but the dolerites delivered from Wales much later. Scientists have recently advanced a hypothesis that Stonehenge was built for hundreds of years. Individual elements of this "construction of the century" was built in a relatively short time, but different generations of builders.

One of the authors of a new study, the British scientist Timothy Darvill (Timothy Darvill) from Bournemouth University (Bournemouth University) on pages LiveScience criticizes the theory that ancient architects seemed to have first installed the small boulders of Stonehenge, and then - large. In accordance with the original design, construction was started with a huge stone blocks. His colleague Robert he stand mixer (Robert Ixer), who discovered the source of origin of dolerite, but did not participate in the test believes that the construction of this megalith went century. Each separate element of Stonehenge was built by the same builders.

Initially, in the centre of Stonehenge was located oval from dolerite (volcanic rock with diabase structure). Because of the blue colour that comes out on the fresh Skole and in contact with the stone moisture, dolerites in English call bluestones - "the blue stones". Around them is five huge megaliths of Sandstone - the so-called Trifonov, consisting of two vertical supports and lying on them stone beams. Around the horseshoe-shaped ancient buildings erected ring dolerite. The weight of boulders Sandstone reaches 40 tons, and the mass of the "blue gems" ten times less - about 4 tons.

Previously, many researchers believed that the oval and circle of Stonehenge appeared earlier horseshoe-shaped structures. But today, scientists came to the conclusion that this chronology is fundamentally wrong. Comparison of Dating detected during the previous excavations deer bones and new finds allowed to revise the schedule of the construction of the megalithic complex.

The authors of the latest research insist that people appeared in these places approximately 5 thousand years ago. At that time, there was a circular ditch dug and built a mound with a diameter of about 110 meters. Later - and then a new hypothesis contradicts earlier - namely about 2600 BC, the Neolithic age, were installed horseshoe-shaped boulders Sandstone mined in the nearby quarries. And then from Wales brought dolerites.

Darvill and his colleagues believe that the creators of the horseshoe-shaped structures were the ancient residents of the British Isles to breed pigs, and with dolarita tinkered came from continental Europe representatives archaeological culture of the late Neolithic, early bronze age, the so-called culture bell-kind ' Cup (in Britain - 2475-2315 years BC). These guys were tending cattle.

While professionals and historians-fans can't distinctly explain why prehistoric people erected a giant megaliths. Medieval writer galfrid Manatsky (Galfridus Monemutensis) attributed the construction of Stonehenge legendary wizard Merlin, who executed the order of the uncle - not less legendary king Arthur. In the XVII century, the time of construction was attributed to I-IV centuries of our era, a time of peace and plenty, when England was part of the Roman Empire. Personal physician to king Charles II suggested that the building was erected Scandinavians, who won in IX century a large part of England. The first who has stated a hypothesis about the construction of Stonehenge, the ancient Britons, was a writer John Aubrey (John Aubrey).

In addition Dating Stonehenge, the discussion revolves around the ways of its construction. If the place of extraction of Sandstone in the limestone hills in the distance of 30 kilometers have been identified in the XIX century, "the blue hills" geologists have managed only in 1923. Dority was mined in the mountains Presley (Preseli) in South-West Wales. Among the many hypotheses were considered ice transport and method "walking stones", tested Round of Thor Heyerdahl on Easter island. By 1995, is an experiment on the movement of the 40-ton block on a wooden sleigh, 135 volunteers pulled the slippery track. However, we still do not know how boulders moved in ancient times. Similarly, it is unknown how heavy plate was placed in trilithon.

And no one yet can say exactly why, actually, there was need this megalithic complex. Stonehenge is considered as a giant solar calendar, the symbol of unity and funerary complex, although after 1600 B.C. here only once made the burial of cremated remains.