Stonehenge

21.06.2024

Stonehenge

Why in the news?

The UK police recently arrested two people, including an Indian-origin man, for spraying an orange substance on Stonehenge, the renowned prehistoric UNESCO World Heritage Site in England.

About Stonehenge:

• It is a prehistoric stone circle monument and archaeological site located in Wiltshire, England.
• It is composed of roughly 100 massive upright stones placed in a circular layout.
• Along with more than 350 nearby monuments and henges (ancient earthworks consisting of a circular bank and ditch), including the kindred temple complex at Avebury, Stonehenge was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986.
• It was built in several stages:

○The first monument was an early henge monument, built about 5,000 years ago, and the unique stone circle was erected in the late Neolithic period, about 2500 BC.

○In the early Bronze Age, many burial mounds were built nearby.

Purpose of Stonehenge:

• Though there is no definite evidence as to the intended purpose of Stonehenge, it was presumably a religious site and an expression of the power and wealth of the chieftains, aristocrats, and priests who had it built.
• It is just one part of a larger sacred landscape that contains many other stone and wooden structures, as well as burials.
• It was aligned with the Sun and possibly used for observing the Sun and Moon and working out the farming calendar.

                                                                           Source: India Today

Ques :- Consider the following statements with reference to the Stonehenge:

Statement-I

It is an archaeological site located in France.

Statement-II

It is composed of roughly massive upright stones placed in a circular layout.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.

1. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I.
2. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect.
3. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct.

Answer D