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| Stonehenge - Building Stage - Period 2 - (c. 2900 - 2400 BC) |
| It is unclear how long the first period of Stonehenge was in use before being altared. Archaeologists aren't sure what exactly was done during the second period but it is believed that the Beaker people were responsible for the second wave of building at Stonehenge. Some feel the bluestones from the Preseli Mountains in west Wales were brought in, while others were intregued by the post - holes found scattered about the monument. Even though it seems as if the post-holes were placed randomly, there are some clusters and patters that do show up. By no means are the patters found like those of Woodhenge, but they do make us think twice about what may have been happening at Stonehenge during the second period. If you decide that the post - holes were used to create a structure, the easiest clusters to note are located at the northeastern enterance. They form a series of holes that could have been made to make wooden walls that maybe made a narrow triple enterance into Stonehenge. Recently arcaeologists have identified the remains of a palisade that ran to the west and north of Stonehenge. Palisade fences have been found in other places of a similiar Late Neolithic date. It is possible that the palisade was used to create a sacred place since it didn't enclose Stonehenge but instead a wall just blocking it from view. Cremation burials have been found cut into the unfilled ditch and the monument's interior (Aubrey Holes). Imagine the honour in being places in such a sacreds structure to rest in peace for all of time. A majority of cremations were determined to be from the Late Neolithci/ Early Bronze Age due to radiocarbon dating of the bone skewer pins used to hold the bags, in which the ashes were places, closed. Lastly, Stonehenge's old ditch bank enterance is widened another 25 feet and a 40 foot wide "Avenue" lined by parallele banks and ditches 47 feet apart extended out from it. Even though it is hard to see now, the Avenue went northeast from Stonehenge and slowly curved right for 2 miles to the river Avon. |