Tag Archives for Building Stonehenge

Building Stonehenge Games and Sets

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henge_5.sizedPhotos from Stonehenge Collectables

For this post we present a couple examples of boxed build-your-own henge sets. The first is called, simply, Henge, and it says it is “a game of sculpture and skill based on prehistoric Stonehenge. The aim is to create a circle or henge of steel blocks using a magnetic wand.”

It appears to be a handsome thing and the object, apparently, is to create the equivalent of the complete outer circle of Stonehenge by manipulating those steel bars with that magnetic wand.

The lingering question, of course, is: Then what? But with two sets, of course, you could begin to do something a little more accurate. Please note, it says “Made in England” and then, “Nashville, Tennessee.” This is an intriguing item and we would be curious to see one in the hard copy world.

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The other item here is a more complex educational set made for children. The copy reads, “Create a miniature sunrise with your solar motion compass and chart the stars path with a solar calendar and working sundial.
Materials: Granite clay, printed Stonehenge base plate, solar motion compass, sundial-solar calendar, glue and brush, and an illustrated instruction poster, home oven and flashlight repaired. ” (Perhaps they meant required?)

We don’t know whether this one includes info on the bluestones and the ins and outs of the outer circle, the heel stone, the “altar stone,” the ditch and bank, etc., but a dedicated person could do the research and include all of that (even add some aliens or a Buddha if they wanted!). This seems like a fun thing to play and learn and be creative with. “Chart the sun’s path with a solar calendar.”

Either of these could give an adult and a child a fun day thinking about Stonehenge, its form, its possible functions, and who built it. With the first, you could also talk about magnetism. With the other, you could also talk about astronomy. And with either, a creative person could take it further. Score for the first, 4 druids. For the second, 5½ druids.

These are just two examples of hands-on model sets generated by Stonehenge one way or another. That mysterious urge to re-create it comes through in every form and size, with many new conceptions  of the Stonehenge idea yet to emerge. What brings people back to it again and again, recreating the ancient monument in ever newer ways, no two alike? We like to think that this collection we’ve created here at Clonehenge may help to bring us closer to an answer.

If not, at least it brings us to another, equally important question: Aren’t people, well, a little weird? Just sayin’.

Wallington’s Stonehenge: “Forgotten Technology” in Michigan

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photo from Mr. Wallington’s website (site now defunct), with permission

Many things about Stonehenge remain mysterious. The biggest mystery is probably why it was built, but certainly one issue that has caused speculation over the years has been the transportation and handling of the huge stones. A man in Flint, Michigan believes he has a contribution to make in that department and he is building a Stonehenge replica on his property in order to prove it. You may have seen this video of him around teh intertubes or other info at his website, The Forgotten Technology:

We don’t know how far he has gotten but his stated intent is to set up a circle of eight uprights topped by seven lintels, pretty much by himself. Impressive! Congratulations, Mr. Wallington! No scoring for now.

It is worth noting that Mr. Wallington’s methods don’t explain how huge uneven bluestones were transported over hundreds of miles of uneven territory, over mountains and through swampy areas, or even how the much larger and less evenly balanced sarsens were moved to the Stonehenge site from Westwood. His ability to move perfectly evenly balanced “stones” on even and solid ground in a clever manner doesn’t shed as much light on how Stonehenge was constructed as some people would like to believe. And of course it sheds no light on the more challenging questions like why it was built at all.

With this and the Nunica henge and one we hope to post in the future at the Raven Hill Discovery Center, Michigan has more rStonehenges than most! What is in the water up there? And can we have it piped to places around the world, especially to South America where we still don’t have a henge!? (Recent correction—now we have one in Brazil, where else?)

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