Stonehenge facts for kids: Learn the who, what & why

Stonehenge was built in several phases between around 3000 and 1500 BCE, which means it’s older than the Great Pyramid of Giza. That alone should give it more credit than it usually gets. But still, over 4,000 years of standing in place, through storms and centuries of change, is impressive.

This was not a weekend project. Stonehenge took more than 1,500 years to come together. It started with simple earth mounds and wooden posts before the big stone circle we know today took shape. Each generation seems to have added something—stone circles, burial sites, ceremonial avenues.

This one’s wild: a few of the bluestones ring like metal when struck. They produce clear, echoing tones—almost like a giant xylophone. Researchers think ancient people might’ve used them in rituals to create soundscapes.

Crushed bits of bluestone have been found scattered around the site. It’s possible people believed the stones had healing powers. Visitors might’ve chipped pieces off to carry with them, kind of like ancient wellness charms. And it’s not just a theory—some human remains buried nearby show signs of serious injury or disease. Stonehenge may have been a Neolithic healing center as much as a ceremonial one.

Before the stones arrived, the area was filled with timber monuments. These wooden circles may have served as earlier ceremonial spaces. Even more interesting, a nearby site called Bluehenge once held bluestones that were later moved to Stonehenge itself.

At Durrington Walls, archaeologists uncovered more than 7,000 eel bones, most of them charred. Eels were a protein-packed food source—and, apparently, a local delicacy. It’s not the snack most of us picture before hauling 25-ton stones, but it seems like it got the job done.

Stonehenge was carefully aligned to track the movements of the sun. On the summer solstice, the sun rises directly behind the Heel Stone and shines into the heart of the circle. Some researchers think the layout also connects to lunar cycles and star patterns, making it an ancient sky calendar!