StonehengeisaprehistoricmonumentlocatedintheEnglishcountyofWiltshire,about3.2kilometres(2.0mi)westofAmesburyand13kilometres(8.1mi)northofSalisbury.Oneofthemostfamoussitesintheworld,Stonehengeiscomposedofearthworkssurroundingacircularsettingoflargestandingstones.ItisatthecentreofthemostdensecomplexofNeolithicandBronzeAgemonumentsinEngland,includingseveralhundredburialmounds.[1]

　　Archaeologistshadbelievedthattheiconicstonemonumentwaserectedaround2500BC,asdescribedinthechronologybelow.Onerecenttheory,however,hassuggestedthatthefirststoneswerenoterecteduntil2400-2200BC,[2]whilstanothersuggeststhatbluestonesmayhavebeenerectedatthesiteasearlyas3000BC(seephase1below).Thesurroundingcircularearthbankandditch,whichconstitutetheearliestphaseofthemonument,havebeendatedtoabout3100BC.ThesiteanditssurroundingswereaddedtotheUNESCO'slistofWorldHeritageSitesin1986inaco-listingwithAveburyHengemonument.ItisanationallegallyprotectedScheduledAncientMonument.StonehengeisownedbytheCrownandmanagedbyEnglishHeritage,whilethesurroundinglandisownedbytheNationalTrust.[3][4]

　　ArchaeologicalevidencefoundbytheStonehengeRiversideProjectin2008indicatesthatStonehengeservedasaburialgroundfromitsearliestbeginnings.[5]Thedatingofcrematedremainsfoundonthesiteindicateburialsfromasearlyas3000BC,whentheinitialditchandbankwerefirstdug.BurialscontinuedatStonehengeforatleastanother500years.[6]