Stonehenge could be built very quickly with today’s machines and technology. But just like cathedrals, the problem isn’t the means but the will: nobody wants to waste time and money on religious nonsense anymore.
You are completly right. If you have the will and the money, you could call a quarry today and order yourself some big stones. They will fit on an oversized load-truck. Call somebody with one or two of those big cranes. Perhaps also consult an architect or engineer who can calculate the structural integrity. We can totally do that.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. I have to stop you right there buster. Stonehenge is not “religious nonsense” it is literally a way to keep track of celestial movement and track the solstices. This allowed for ancient peoples to track the change of seasons and properly plan their agricultural activities. It was entirely practical, and very good at its job as it still works today to an extent.
Building Stonehenge today would end up in an ill advised contract structure between public and private stakeholders which would be partially responsible for a cost overrun of ~175% and it would ultimately get cancelled after a decade and a half or so when only ~30% was finished.
No joke though there’s a spiritual sanctuary in rural Pennsylvania where they’re making their own stone circle. Every year they have a festival where they use ropes to prop up a new giant stone, and then they bury it so that it stays put.
It’s a really cool place, I think it’s called Four Quarters. You should check it out if you ever get the chance. They also host raves, medieval cosplay festivals, all sorts of cool stuff.
And they built their own suspension bridge across a ravine! One of their members is an engineer by trade. The thing is legit!
Look up Avebury if you want a stone circle you can actually go around. Much larger and there is a pub in the middle of it. If you like hill walking there are also the white horses
Stonehenge could be built very quickly with today’s machines and technology. But just like cathedrals, the problem isn’t the means but the will: nobody wants to waste time and money on religious nonsense anymore.
You are completly right. If you have the will and the money, you could call a quarry today and order yourself some big stones. They will fit on an oversized load-truck. Call somebody with one or two of those big cranes. Perhaps also consult an architect or engineer who can calculate the structural integrity. We can totally do that.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. I have to stop you right there buster. Stonehenge is not “religious nonsense” it is literally a way to keep track of celestial movement and track the solstices. This allowed for ancient peoples to track the change of seasons and properly plan their agricultural activities. It was entirely practical, and very good at its job as it still works today to an extent.
You can track the seasons using far fewer rocks at a much smaller size. So no, it really isn’t.
oh and who are you the Rock Wrangler? The Time Tempter? The Henge Handler?
Fun fact, henges are a type of earthworks, doesn’t have to have a circle, stone or otherwise.
Most henges are round though, because that’s the most area for the circumference. And when you’ve been shoveling dirt for weeks, that matters.
Building Stonehenge today would end up in an ill advised contract structure between public and private stakeholders which would be partially responsible for a cost overrun of ~175% and it would ultimately get cancelled after a decade and a half or so when only ~30% was finished.
I don’t know about the budget back then, but the real Stonehenge took like a millennia to complete so if anything that’s actually finishing early.
Original plans were for a tower but it never got past the ground floor
Someone built a modern one in SW washington state, although I think it’s just cast concrete. Certainly doesn’t look as nice in person
Power tools disturb the spirits living inside the stone which causes them to depart and find different rocks to live in.
A structure like Stonehenge must therefore necessarily be made exclusively by hand tools.
Just prop up some big rocks in a really big circle and call it a day, then go to the pub.
It’s that easy!
No joke though there’s a spiritual sanctuary in rural Pennsylvania where they’re making their own stone circle. Every year they have a festival where they use ropes to prop up a new giant stone, and then they bury it so that it stays put.
It’s a really cool place, I think it’s called Four Quarters. You should check it out if you ever get the chance. They also host raves, medieval cosplay festivals, all sorts of cool stuff.
And they built their own suspension bridge across a ravine! One of their members is an engineer by trade. The thing is legit!
Sounds cool but I’m already pretty near the original stone henge, grew up in Wiltshire.
Ah, that’s pretty neat! I’ve always wanted to explore the area around Bristol/Glastonbury/etc
Look up Avebury if you want a stone circle you can actually go around. Much larger and there is a pub in the middle of it. If you like hill walking there are also the white horses
That sounds awesome. Does the pub serve fairie potions? I wanna wake up in isekai
mormons
Stonehenge wasn’t religious, it was for a stone age equivalent of destruction derby