Self did it, she actually did it. Crossed another iconic monument off her “Must Visit” list.
Thinking and comparing Stonehenge to other sacred sites she’s visited — like Chichen Itza; like Teotihuacan; like Angkor Wat; likeDharamsala; like Jerusalem; like Bethlehem — she thinks it is the simplest, and also the most mysterious. What would the ancient Romans have thought when they stumbled upon it, thousands of years ago? Below, just a few of self’s niggling questions.
What is the deal with the ancient Brits and circles? While Mayans and Egyptians have their pyraminds, the Brits have their circles.
Why did they find a child’s body accompanied by a dog’s head with four nails driven into its skull?
Who built it, and how were they able to carry stones quarried from many miles away? How did they set in place the 40-ton lintels?
Why was the site chosen?
What was it used for?
How much manpower was required to lift those heavy stone pillars, and were they all volunteers or were some — or most — of them slaves or conquered peoples?
Who built the barrows surrounding Stonehenge, all around the Salisbury Plain (all within clear view of the massive stones)?
It is a powerfully cold and remote site. They closed the National Highway that used to bring gawkers within yards of the monument (for which we can all be truly grateful). The wind whipped self’s lips to shred, even in late April. The guide said the tours go year-round. So, the tours in December must be positively arctic. On the good side, there must have been only two dozen visitors at the stones when self’s group arrived, in late evening (There is only one tour that arrives in the late afternoon: Pat Shelley’s. Highly recommended. You get the setting sun and the shadows. Bring a down parka and gloves and wear boots. The sheep shit dot the meadows)
Stay tuned, dear blog readers. Stay tuned.
Kanlaon 