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How would you build Stonehenge today?

  • Broadcast in Design
MyFixitUpLife

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So, how would you build Stonehenge today?

We're asking expert builder and craftsman Paul Dimeo and blacksmith Carley Eisenberg.

Stonehenge is probably the most famous prehistoric monument in the world. What seems to have started as an earthwork enclosure, it developed into the ring of stones that is highly recognizable by architecture and history geeks alike.

So how did the Neolithic people build Stonehenge? It's a topic that has been discussed and discussed. We're fascinated by the engineering feats and organizational achievements that went into setting the stones. But more than that, we're curious how we could build it today.

Here are the challenges:

1) Dig the ditch, about 320 feet in diameter. It is about 20 feet wide and about 5 or more feet deep.

2 ) Transport 25-ton sarsen stones, which are a type of sandstone, about 20 miles.

3) Transport 2- to 5-ton bluestones about 250 miles.

4) Work the stones into shape.

5) Create mortise and tenons to fit the upright stones to the lintels.

6) Erect the sarsen and bluestones into a monument

Paul Dimeo is best known as the carpenter on ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Paul began his interest in home renovation when he was five years old, after his family's home was destroyed by fire. Currently Paul can be seen on National Geographic's 'Building Wild.'

Carley Eisenberg recently appeared on Ellen's Design Challenge on HGTV, sharing his innovative design abilities with her on-camera partner Jeff Devlin. Carley is a blacksmith with a master’s degree in furniture design, and has a forge where she fashions everything from hooks to trowels. 

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