A time of great change from the Stone

A time of great change: from the Stone Age to the Iron Age

Key Question: What do henges teach us about Stone Age beliefs? LO: • To know what henges are and • To infer what henges tell us about what people believed in the Stone Age.

Henges There about 100 henges in the United Kingdom and hundreds more across Europe, They come in different forms and sizes, but they share many of the same characteristics.

What were they for? We know they must have been important, but we don’t know exactly what they were for. There are no written records from this time, so we have to rely on what we can infer. (We use the clues we find to make a best guess. ) This henge is called The Ring of Brodgar. It is on the Orkney Islands. The people who lived at Skara Brae might have come here. What do you think they came here for?

What were they used for? Watch this video and take some notes: https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=wf. CN 8 k. NM 7 sw

STONEHENGE Stonehenge must have been very special. The site was used for thousands of years. The blue stones used to build the structure came from Wales! The stones in the middle line up with the rising sun on the longest day of the year and the setting sun on the shortest day of the year. Hundreds of burial sites are recorded around the stones and nearby.

The same beliefs Henges are found all over the UK and Northern Europe. This tells us that all the people living in these areas would have had similar beliefs. What do you think they believed in? Sites of henges in England

Working together Building a henge would have needed a whole community to work together. To build Stonehenge would have needed a very large community. This shows us that the people who lived at this time must have lived in big organised groups.

The Sun Stonehenge lines up with the sun on the shortest and longest days of the year. People at this time had recently started farming instead of hunting and gathering. Some archaeologists think they may have worshipped the Sun to pray for good weather for their crops. What do you think?

A calendar It could be that some henges were a way of telling the time. By using a henge, people could know when the longest and shortest days of the year were. This could help them to plan when to sow their seeds.

Rituals Perhaps henges were used when someone was born, or when someone died – a bit like churches and other religious buildings are used today. What do you think?

Burials Lots of burial mounds are found near Stonehenge. From the items found in these mounds, archaeologists can infer that these individuals must have been rich, important and powerful. Why do you think these people chose to be buried at this site?

Human sacrifice? People sometimes imagine that Stone Age people sacrificed others at places like Stonehenge. There is very little evidence for this – only one skeleton has been found with marks to show he may have been sacrificed (and remember, Stonehenge was used by people for thousands of years).

Seahenge This henge was found on the beach near Holme in Norfolk. Archaeologists know it was built in the year 2049 BC (Stonehenge was built between 3000 and 2500 BC) It has an upside down oak tree in the middle and wooden posts around the outside. Why do you think Stone Age people made the effort to built this structure? What was it for?

TASK: What do you think? Consider the evidence. Explain what each piece of evidence tells us about what Stone Age people might have believed. Explain what you think henges were used for.

OPTIONAL TASK Create a henge of your own. It could be as sophisticated as Percy’s, or you could create a simpler structure using stones in your back garden. The longest day – the summer solstice - is on Saturday, 20 th June this year. Line up two of the stones with the rising of the sun on this day just like Stonehenge. (If you can’t get up this early, you could line it up with the setting sun instead. )