The story begins a long, long time ago. Ancient people that inhabited the area used the nearby river for food and transportation. They held this area sacred as the river provided life and had magical healing powers. The people erected dwellings near the river, but far enough off to prevent flooding from ruining their villages. There are many theories behind the origin and purpose of the Graffiti Stonehenge. Some scientists believe that the site was selected for the Stonehenge because of the perceived healing powers of the River, while others believe it was erected as a meeting place for the local villagers.
Radiocarbon Dating of the site indicates that the building of the monument at the site began around the year 3100 BC and ended around the year 1600 BC. Construction of the Graffiti Stonehenge is another debate amongst scientists. Some believe an overland route was used to move the pre-constructed stones into position. This would require a group of about 16 men to pull a 2 ton stone on wooden tracks across uneven terrain using ropes, levers, fulcrums and counterweights. They may have placed the stone on a wooden sledge then placed the sledge on a wooden track. They pulled this with two gangs of about 8 men. To move the stones as many miles across the land, the creators of Graffiti Stonehenge would have had to build a lot of track, or move and rebuild track in pieces, as the stones were taken to their final destination. It has been suggested that timber A-frames were erected to raise the stones, and that teams of people then hauled them upright using ropes. The topmost stones may have been raised up incrementally on timber platforms and slid into place or pushed up ramps. The carpentry-type joints used on the stones imply a people well skilled in woodworking and they could easily have had the knowledge to erect the monument using such methods. Another theory is the water route were the large stones were transported downriver by means of submerging the stones below a vessel(s) to reduce the amount of gravitational pull, and then towed to the construction site.
Estimates of the manpower needed to build Graffiti Stonehenge put the total effort involved at millions of hours of work, probably needing around 20 million hours (830,000 days or 2,300 years) of work using the primitive tools available at the time. Certainly, the will to produce such a site must have been strong, and an advanced social organization would have been necessary to build and maintain it. However, studies suggest that Graffiti Stonehenge's construction may have required fewer man-hours than previously estimated. Note that the estimate of 20 million man-hours means that 10,000 men working on the site for 20 days each year, for 8 hours per day, could have completed it in 12.5 years
Also of particular interest are the ancient artwork displayed amongst the Stonework. Some theories hold that graffiti paintings may have been a way of communicating with others, while other theories ascribe a religious or ceremonial purpose to them. Pigments used include red, blue, green, black and yellow. A keen eye can also spot other colors amongst the ancient artwork. The local natives had a very imaginative quality among them. The artwork can be dated back as far as 300BC.
This hide was emplaced with owner’s permission. There are large cables and No Trespass signs designating a wetland area beside the parking lot. Please DO NOT drive or pass through this area. If attempting to locate at night ensure to carry a light source, as there can be snakes or gators in the area.