Компьютерная презентация "Стоунхендж"

Stonehenge

Работу выполнил: Димитров Даниил Владимирович

Преподаватель: Лахтеева Светлана Вячеславовна

Our purposes

• Purpose: The purpose of my work is to study the versions for the emergence of Stonehenge, and review the most probable of them.

Research hypothesis and tasks:

• Research hypothesis: Over different periods of the human history, Stonehenge served a number of difference purposes.
• Tasks: 1. To acquire additional regional knowledge. 
• Tasks: 2.To enrich my lexical stock with new words and expressions. 
• Tasks: 3. To conduct an analysis of historical facts and track their interrelation in accordance with the purpose of the work and the hypothesis of the research work.

ICON OF BRITIAN

• In my opinion, Stonehenge is one of those attractions that is immediately recognizable like the Great Pyramid, the Eiffel Tower, and the Sydney Opera House. 
• Stonehenge is nothing more than a ring of large stones, many of which have toppled over and broken over the years. One of the most famous landmarks in the UK, Stonehenge is regarded as a British cultural icon. The site and its surroundings were added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1986.

Britain on the map

• Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, England, 2 miles (3 km) west of Amesbury. It consists of a ring of standing stones, with each standing stone around 13 feet (4.0 m) high, 7 feet (2.1 m) wide and weighing around 25 tons. Archaeologists believe it was constructed from 3000 BC to 2000 BC.

Stages of construction

• Stonehenge was built in three stages:
• І. 3050 BC. (5050 years ago) Ring ditch and a mound (handage). 
• ІІ. Around 2600 BC. (4600 years ago) In the center was erected a wooden structure. 
• III. 2400-1500 BC. (4,500-3500 years ago) A stone monument was erected, which was then altered and rebuilt for 1,000 years. 
• The largest blocks of the circle - the Sarsen stones - were taken from the Marlborough hills, located 30 km from Stonehenge. Lesser stones (the so-called Blue stones) were delivered from the mystical Pressel Mountains, located at 385 km - in Wales. It is still unknown how ancient people managed to move them so far.

Number of stones

• How Many Stones Are In Stonehenge? 
• 82 - the total number of sarsen stones that were needed for the site
• In general, scientists talk about the existence of 200 versions of the emergence of Stonehenge. Today, the most serious debate about the purpose of Stonehenge revolves around ten main theories. 

Astronomical Calendar

• In 1666 John Aubrey suggested that Stonehenge was built by the ancient Britons. Aubrey came to the conclusion that they "have a domestic origin." At the end of the XIX century there were theories about the astronomical activity of the ancient Britons. And in 1965 Dr. Gerald Hawkins from Boston University, using computer analysis, received a clear scheme of solar and lunar orientations, which proved the astronomical significance of Stonehenge. He compiled a plan of various orientations and astronomical correspondences for individual elements of Stonehenge, and then entered calculations into the computer to see if they had any astronomical significance.
• In 1666 John Aubrey suggested that Stonehenge was built by the ancient Britons. Aubrey came to the conclusion that they "have a domestic origin." At the end of the XIX century there were theories about the astronomical activity of the ancient Britons. And in 1965 Dr. Gerald Hawkins from Boston University, using computer analysis, received a clear scheme of solar and lunar orientations, which proved the astronomical significance of Stonehenge. He compiled a plan of various orientations and astronomical correspondences for individual elements of Stonehenge, and then entered calculations into the computer to see if they had any astronomical significance.

Druids’ Temple

• Since the middle of the XVIII century, many scientists have studied it, in particular, Britain. One of the most ardent advocates of the Druidic theory was William Stukeley. The archaeologist believed that Stonehenge is the center of spirituality, where communication was made with the inner world of people and the universe. 
• Every year on the early morning of June 21, thousands of pilgrims gather near Stonehenge to celebrate the summer solstice festival. This pagan holiday, dedicated to the longest day of the year, has existed for thousands of years. Participants in the celebration are dressed in bright clothes, and their heads are crowned with wreaths.

A Sacred Hunting Ground

• Archeologists have proved that the areas surrounding the Stonehenge along the ancient migration route (auroch) served as a hunting ground for several thousands of years prior to the construction of the Stonehenge. The site is only 1.6 kilometers from Wiltshire, England and contains several proofs of human inhabitation like bones, tools, and burnt stones which archeologists said dated back to 3, 000 years ago. The archeological evidence available shows that the site was indeed an ancient feasting and hunting ground. There is a belief that the megaliths found on the site must have been built to commemorate the hunting and feasting days.

Unity Monument

• It is a popular belief in some quarters that the Megaliths were built by the British to mark the beginning era of unity and peace.
• As at the period the monument was constructed, which was between 3000 B.C. and 2500 B.C., the British Isle experienced an unprecedented unification of their culture.

Elite Cemetery

• In the Middle Ages there was an opinion that the greatest miracle of Britain was the work of her greatest wizard, Merlin. The myth about the construction of the Velikon Horovider is by the court magician King Arthur has several options. The most popular version was the one written by the writer of the 12th century, Galfrid Monmouth, in his pseudo-chronicle, The History of the Britons. According to this version, Stonehenge was to perpetuate the memory of four hundred and sixty Briton chiefs who were treacherously killed during peace negotiations by the Saxons who invaded the island. Merlin allegedly established this grandiose memorial on the site of a treacherous murder in the reign of King Aurelius Ambrosia, Uncle Arthur.

Healing Site

• In 2008, British archaeologists Tim Darvill and Geoffrey Wainwright suggested—on the basis of the Amesbury Archer that Stonehenge was used in prehistory as a place of healing. However, analysis of human remains from around and within the monument shows no difference from other parts of Britain in terms of the population’s health.

A “computer” to predict eclipse

• In 1963 American astronomer Gerald Hawkins proposed that Stonehenge had been constructed as a “computer” to predict lunar and solar eclipses; other scientists also attributed astronomical capabilities to the monument. Most of these speculations, too, have been rejected by experts.

A Landing Pad

• Recently, the popular version is the unearthly origin of Stonehenge - supposedly here "aliens" put their hand. 
• A Danish author Erich von Däniken suggests that aliens had a role in the creation of Stonehenge. Though, some people believe that too. This very large circle might be constructed by aliens on Earth long ago. Crop circles, commonly believed to be extra-terrestrial in origin, appear frequently near Stonehenge.

A Support for the Wooden Platform

• The historian and art critic from Great Britain Julian Spaulding has surfaced a new theory about why Stonehenge was built. In his opinion, huge stone blocks served as a support for the wooden platform, writes The Guardian. 
• The scientist suggested that believers were gathered on the platform for religious rites. Thus, climbing on huge stones, ancient people became closer to the sky.

Conclusion

• In conclusion I should say that we know one thing for sure: Stonehenge was not any kind of Roman Temple, and proper dating have shown that it must have been completed more than a thousand years prior to the roaming of the British Isles by the Druids. 
• The late Professor Richard Atkinson, Stonehenge authority, said, “There is one short, simple and perfectly correct answer. We do not know and we shall probably never know”. Perhaps one of the reasons for this uncertainty is that Stonehenge evolved. I am sure, it was not a constant monument, but a continuous one. The purpose of the monument itself was almost without doubt varied. Only one thing is certain about Stonehenge: it's an architectural marvel that will fascinate people for thousands of years to come. Regardless of whether we learn who built it and why, it will continue to spark curiosity and imagination for centuries in the future.

List of Literature and Internet Resources

• 1. Castleden R. The Making of Stonehenge. L.: Routledge, 1993; 
• 2. Malone C., Stone N. Stonehenge. Bernard Oxford University Press, 2002; 
• 3. Браун П. Стоунхендж. Загадки мегалитов. - М: Гардарики,2010; 
• 4. Хокинс Дж., Уайт Д. Разгадка тайны Стоунхенджа. – М.: Вече, 2004; 
• 5. Низовский А.Ю., Непомнящий Н.Н., 100 великих тайн. – М.: Вече, 2002; 6. http://www.celtica.ru; 7. http://www.english-heritage.org.uk; 8. http://www.livelib.ru; 9. https://ru.wikipedia.org;

Thank you for your attention!