This Week We Are Moving Towards the End of the Stone Age Period and Entering the Bronze Age

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This week we are moving towards the end of the Stone Age period and entering the Bronze Age. This week we are going to focus our work on a very famous monument but first we need to guess what it is. Use the picture and the clues below to work out what we are going to be learning about.

Clue 1: This monument was erected at the end of the Neolithic period (the New Stone Age, which was the last period of the Stone Age).

Clue 2: There are no written records to help us understand why this monument was built.

Clue 3: This monument is only 18 miles from Andover.

Have you figured it out yet?

That’s right! We are going to learn about…

Stonehenge is a very famous prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, in the South of England. It was started 5000 years ago during the Stone Age, around 3100 – 3000BC. Up to 150 people were buried there when it was just an earthwork. The stones that we see today were added later. Let’s find out more.

What do you think a monument is? Why do you think that prehistoric people built these? Can you think of any modern monuments?

About 6,000 years ago, most of southern England was covered by woodland. The gently rolling chalk hills in the area of Stonehenge may have caused an unusually open landscape during the Stone Age, as woodland struggles to grow on chalk. This is perhaps why early Neolithic people chose to build monuments in this area.

Watch these video clips to get us started and then read about how Stonehenge came to be:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBnWxKaxLIU&feature=youtu.be

(Stop the video at 1 min 38 seconds)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/z82hsbk/articles/zg8q2hv

Why did the ancient Britons build such a massive monument at Stonehenge? What exactly went on at this sacred site? We don’t actually know the answer for sure but here are some ideas that archaeologists believe are likely.

- Used to study the movements of the Sun and Moon. - A place of healing - Used for special Midsummer or midwinter ceremonies - A place for funerals of important people

Stonehenge is just one of hundreds of stone circles that have been found in Britain. During the early Bronze Age, circles built from stone or wood played a very important part in the life of the British people.

Now let’s take a virtual tour…

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/history-and-stories/stonehenge360/

…Now you seen it in detail, what do you think Stonehenge might have been used for?

Create a list of 3 ideas giving a reason to support your ideas.

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Read through this info graphic to find out more about how Stonehenge was built. Then choose your challenge!

Option 1: Create a paper model of Stonehenge

Use the template below to create a paper model of Stonehenge. As an extra challenge, can you create a setting for your model? Remember that in the Stone Age the majority of the land was forest however Stonehenge was set in an unusually open landscape.

Option 2: Make a garden Henge!

Use clay or playdoh to create a model of Stonehenge. Place your model in a grassy setting and remember to take a picture of your completed Henge!

Option 3: Scavenge a Henge!

Go outside and find some stones that you think would be suitable to create your Stonehenge. Look carefully at the shapes of the stones used at Stonehenge. Can you find stones that will make your model as accurate as possible? Once you have collected your stones, construct your Stonehenge. Top tip! You might find it easiest to build your Henge in sand of mud as this will make standing up your stones easier.

Option 4: Biscuit Henge! REMEMBER!

Create a model of Stonehenge using biscuits! However you choose to create your model of Stonehenge, scale is really important!

A scale model is most generally a physical representation of an object that maintains accurate relationships between all important aspects of the model, although absolute values of the original properties need not be preserved.

Bronze Age - Following the Stone Age, the Bronze Age is the time period when people made tools from an alloy (a mixture of metals) called bronze. Bronze is a mixture of mainly copper and tin: usually nine parts copper to one part tin. Materials like wood and stone were also used for tools, but bronze was better for cutting and chopping, and was easy to shape. construct - to make or form by combining parts. erected - to put up by fitting together materials or parts erect a tent. earthwork - an embankment (mound) or other construction made of earth.

Add any additional words you are unsure of the meaning to this glossary. Find out their meaning by asking an adult, looking them up in a dictionary, or with an adults permission, ‘Googling’ them!

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