Analysis of Stone Henge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Analysis of Stone Henge - Essay ExampleThe meanings behind the large circles of stone can and be guessed at. As has been noted, earlier grave sites were normally aligned with the winter solstice, allowing a shaft of sunlight to enter the chamber only on that twenty-four hour period and that hour. However, once the circle was removed from such a close association with death, it is argued that the larger standing stones became aligned instead with sunrise at the summer solstice. magic spell the stones of Stonehenge are aligned to various astronomical times (Souden, 1997), there are several indications that the circles may have served a deeper purpose than providing a necessary solar calendar for people who survived on cultivating the land. One theory holds that the circles are indeed aligned with the summer solstice as a means of reflecting the joining of the Earth Goddess, symbolized by the womb-like shape of the monument and the supine, glittering surface of the Altar Stone, with the Sky Father, symbolized by the open air structure and the entrance of light. Others, such as Christopher Chippendale (1994) call forth that the alignment is more closely aligned with the midwinter sunset. About the only thing sure about Stonehenge is that its meaning was complex and immensely important to the generations of Neolithic farmers who lived in the area.With the origins of the structure lost to time, archaeological evidence remains the only means by which todays culture might discover the people who strengthened the structure.