Stonehenge: Historical and Etymological Aspects Quiz

Answer: A round or oval bank with an interior ditch

The modern usage and definition of "henge" is a back-formation from Stonehenge i.e. the word henge became archaeological jargon for the type of bank and ditch that surrounded Stonehenge. Some now limit the definition to those banks and ditches arranged so that the ditch is inside the bank. Ironically, at Stonehenge, the ditch is on the outside.

Answer: A gallows

In a 1998 essay for "British Archaeology", David Hinton discusses one oft given speculative derivation of the name Stonehenge - gallows humor. The parts of the monument consisting of two standing stones with a horizontal crosspiece resemble the gallows in use in the Middle Ages. Mr. Hinton is quick to enumerate the reasons for believing that the monument was never actually used for executions, thereby lending support to the alternative proposal that the name derived from a humorous comparison rather than actual use. Hinton concedes that Henry on Huntingdon, who made the first known reference to "Stanenges" in the early 12th century, makes no reference to gallows.

On our visit to Stonehenge, an Australian-born Stonehenge security guard acted as our guide. He pointed out stones that bore an uncanny resemblance to human faces, a fish and a Walrus.

Answer: Megalith

"Lith" is the Greek root for stone. "Mega" means large or great. "Men-hir" transliterates to "stone-long" and is generally applied to isolated standing stones, such as the Grand Menhir Briseé in Brittany. "Orthostat" means standing straight or upright and is similar to the medical term "orthostatic".

The term "orthostat" is not supposed to be applied to stones standing alone for which the term "menhir" is more properly used. "Trilithon", literally "three stones", refers to the arch formed by two orthostats topped with a lintel stone.

Answer: Merlin brought the stones from Ireland and erected them by means of his "wondrous art"

In Geoffrey's account, Ambrosius Aurelius, the uncle of King Arthur, sends Arthur's father, Uther Pendragon, to Ireland to conquer the Irish and bring back the stone ring on Mount Killarnus. Merlin's "engines" allow Uther's troops to load the stones on boats and ultimately to transport them to the Salisbury plain where Merlin erects them as a monument to the soldiers killed because of the treachery of the Saxon Hengist. Present day experts believe the stones were actually moved from Wales some three millennia earlier.

Answer: The Celtic druids, who did not appear in Britain until more than 1000 years after the last Stonehenge building phase, played no role.

Modern dating methods indicate that Stonehenge was begun in roughly 3100 BC. It was completed in a number of phases ending in approximately 1900 BC. Stonehenge seems to have been abandoned about 1600 BC, many centuries before the appearance of Celtic Druids in Britain.

Answer: All of them

The mainstream expert opinion favors transport by boats and sledges. One Aubrey Burl has propounded a theory involving glaciers.

Answer: The stone sank while being carried in a replica of a prehistoric boat.

In the quiz author's opinion this single failure to duplicate the feat of ancient man proves nothing. Just because modern man could not transport a stone in a prehistoric boat doesn't necessarily mean that ancient man could not. Besides, it was only our first try.

Answer: They were named after John Aubrey, who probably didn't discover them.

In 1666 John Aubrey described five holes found in the vicinity of the stones. In the 1920s Robert Newall found a ring of 56 well spaced holes and generously credited James Aubrey with the original discovery, although it is doubtful that the holes Aubrey described were the ones that Newall found. The pits were used for later burials making Stonehenge the oldest cemetery in the UK. The purpose for which the holes were originally excavated in approximately 3100 BC remains unknown.

The name "Aubrey" is, in fact, thought to mean "elf rule" and to have a connection to the Latin root "albus", possibly in the context of "white" in the sense of fair hair or skin. To my knowledge, there is no such historical figure as Aubrey the Mad.

Answer: 1985

Free festivals began to be held at Stonehenge for the summer solstice in 1972. In 1984 an estimated 70,000 people attended. English Heritage obtained a court order to prevent the gathering in 1985. British authorities stopped a 140-vehicle "caravan" of new age travelers headed for Stonehenge and a violent confrontation ensued. This became known as the Battle of the Beanfield.

Answer: Arrange for "Private Access" before or after usual visiting hours through English Heritage.

English Heritage allows for private access before and after usual hours. This needs to be arranged in advance. Local tour guides can be hired to accompany you.