
On the Purpose, the Age, and the Builders of Stonehenge. By 
EpmMuND 8. MASKELYNE. 
(Read December Sth, 1897 ). 
The suggestions that I am privileged to make to you this. 
afternoon with respect to the purpose for which, the time when, 
and the people by whom Stonehenge was erected may not, perhaps, 
be readily received by some of you on account of the remoteness. 
of the date I give for its erection. 
Again, to some, many things I shall have to say may seem but: 
like something you have heard before. But I can assure you that 
the theory I am about to propound to you is in all its essential 
particulars an absolutely novel theory and has never hitherto. 
been published, nor for anything I know even thought of. In this. 
respect, therefore, it lacks the one thing which for many minds is. 
the first requisite for their acceptance of any theory, namely, the 
authority of some well-known name. But I presume that one of — 
the objects of a Society like ours is to consider new theories for 
the explanation of old questions. In this belief I venture now to. 
submit this paper to you. 
DESCRIPTION OF STONEHENGE. 
And first I will ask you to remember that Stonehenge proper 
consisted of an outer ring about 100 feet in diameter, composed 
of 30 enormous native Sarsen stones or rather rocks which 
supported imposts, continuous except over the southern upright, 
and surrounding the five trilithons, each of which consisted 
of three rocks of still more stupendous magnitude. And in front 
of the largest trilithon lies a large stone called the Altar stone. 
Also within the outer megalithic circle were an inner circle and 
an innermost horseshoe of smaller stones all which were certainly 
brought there from some distant land, while all the large stones, 
except perhaps the prostrate stone, are what are called Sarsens 
- A Vor. FX., No. 1. 
