Although Stonehenge was constructed in several distinct phases over a span of fifteen hundred years, its final phase demonstrates highly sophisticated stone-working techniques. To create a visually cohesive and stable circular perimeter, the builders of the outer sarsen ring employed which of the following techniques?
- Curving the horizontal lintels to follow the circle's perimeter and securing them using mortise-and-tenon and tongue-and-groove jointsAnswer
- BRelying on a basic post-and-lintel system where dry-laid uprights and lintels are balanced solely by gravity without interlocking joints
- CCarving relief representations of animal deities into the faces of the uprights to serve as shamanic guardians
- DUtilizing stratigraphic sequencing and radiocarbon analysis during construction to align the rings with older bluestone features
Answer
Curving the horizontal lintels to follow the circle's perimeter and securing them using mortise-and-tenon and tongue-and-groove joints
The correct option describes the actual engineering techniques used during the final phases of Stonehenge's construction. The sarsen lintels were not straight beams; they were deliberately carved with a curve to form a smooth circular ring. Furthermore, the builders secured the upright sarsen posts to the horizontal lintels using mortise-and-tenon joints (fitting a projection into a matching socket) and connected the lintels to one another end-to-end using tongue-and-groove joints. This level of craftsmanship, adapted from timber framing, ensured the structural integrity and visual continuity of the circle.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Stonehenge's construction relied on sophisticated Neolithic stonemasonry techniques, including post-and-lintel construction reinforced by mortise-and-tenon and tongue-and-groove joints, and the curving of lintels to form a continuous circle.