Stonehenge

Stonehenge is a megalithic monument from the Neolithic period, near the town of Amesbury in the English county of Wiltshire and about 13 kilometers northwest of Salisbury on the Salisbury Plains. The most recent dating for the construction of Stonehenge is determined to be 2300 BC, 300 years later than previously thought.

The monument consists of earthworks surrounding a circular arrangement of large, rudimentarily worked standing stones and is one of the most famous prehistoric sites on earth. Although the word 'henge' is part of the name, it is not a true henge.

The structure along with its surroundings was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1986, along with the henge monument of Avebury under the inscription Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites. It is also a legally protected ancient structure by the British government. Stonehenge itself is owned by the Crown and managed by the English Heritage organization. The surrounding lands are owned by the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest, commonly known in the United Kingdom as the National Trust.

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