Woodhenge

Woodhenge is located in the county of Wiltshire, England Henge monument.

The northerly of Amesbury, named in reference to the only 3.2 km south west Stonehenge Woodhenge, was probably built around the year 2340 BC, before Stonehenge ( dating from the 1970s, however, suggest a more recent creation date). In the bottom, only the post-holes of rotten wood piles were found.

History of Research

Woodhenge was 1926-1928, excavated by Maud and Benjamin Cunnington, curator of the Devizes Museum.

Construction

The monument was of a low wall (67 m diameter) surrounded with outer ditch and could (like Stonehenge ) by an access from a northeasterly direction to be entered. Woodhenge is composed of six elliptical pole rings each of which has the largest diameter of 44 m. The oval rings lie on the axis of the midsummer sunrise. In the center of the complex, a children's skeleton with a crushed skull was found, suggesting human sacrifice.

Reconstruction

The 168 post holes today are marked by low concrete bollard. These bollards have, depending on the ring to which they belong, a different color ( see sketch). The red bollards mark a ring, but the ring positions of burials. According to some older Woodhenge reconstructions should have been covered, today however, this is doubtful.

Finds

The site belongs to English Heritage and is maintained by this.

The UNESCO declared the area of Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites, including Woodhenge heard in 1986 a World Heritage Site.