Final answer:
Stonehenge's construction is divided into three periods, running from 3100 BCE to 1500 BCE. These include initial earthworks, wooden structures, and sophisticated stone settings. Technological feats, such as post-and-lintel construction and the alignment with astronomical events, highlight Stonehenge's historical significance.
Step-by-step explanation:
Construction Periods of Stonehenge
The construction of Stonehenge is typically divided into three distinct periods. These periods extend roughly from 3100 BCE to 1500 BCE. The first period started around 3100 BCE with the creation of the earthwork enclosure, including a circular ditch and banked-up dirt around the monument. The subsequent periods include the setting up of wooden posts that were later replaced by stones, up to the sophisticated placement of massive sarsen stones and smaller bluestones, which required advanced techniques like the post-and-lintel construction and the creation of mortise and tenon joints to stabilize the structure. These efforts involved remarkable engineering that had to account for the transportation and shaping of large stones with weights up to 50 tons from distances of up to 450 miles. Carbon dating and archeological findings have led to a deeper understanding of Stonehenge's construction, suggesting these periods of development and the remarkable alignment of some stones with astronomical events like the solstices, indicating Stonehenge may have also been used as an ancient astronomical observatory.