Stonehenge is the archaeological site in England famous for its prehistoric ring of standing stones.
Stonehenge stands on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. The monument was built in stages over many centuries, beginning around 3000 BC. Its earliest phase included a circular earthwork enclosure, while later builders added large sarsen stones and smaller bluestones arranged in distinctive rings and horseshoe shapes.
The sarsen stones came from the Marlborough Downs, about 25 miles north of the monument. Many bluestones were transported from the Preseli Hills in Wales, more than 140 miles away. Moving these stones required substantial organization, engineering, and labor, although the precise techniques remain debated.
Stonehenge likely had ceremonial and funerary significance. Archaeologists have found cremation burials and evidence of feasting in the surrounding landscape. The monument is aligned with the solstices, especially sunrise at the summer solstice and sunset at the winter solstice. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986 together with nearby Avebury.