Day trip to Stonehenge (Leila Al Sammak, Syria, ITP 2025)
Written by Leila Al Sammak, Curator of the Ancient Archaeological Department, National Museum of Damascus (Syria, ITP 2025)
On Friday morning, we went on a trip to Stonehenge. It wasn’t easy for me, because the weekend in Syria is on Friday! I slept a lot on the journey, waking up wasn’t easy for me and my colleagues, but we were excited to see the site. The closer the bus got to the site, the more exciting it was, due to the scenic beauty of the landscape.
When the bus arrived at the site, the biggest surprise was seeing one of the most important archaeological sites in the world, dating back to prehistoric times. The team felt a mix of adventure and excitement about interrogating the stones.
The site management team began by welcoming the ITP team and providing a brief overview of the site and explanation of their visitor programme, including activities and events during the year. The events are shared across the visitor team, and include activities for children such as activity worksheets. The team also create marketing materials for those events, such as posters.
As we listened to the tour from the site team, the monument was mentioned repeatedly. We expected it to be a simple stone building, built by the people of Stonehenge. But while we were on the bus to the stones, enjoying the surrounding landscape and the history of this archaeological site, our excitement grew, especially when we learned that it was completed around 4,000 years ago. The site has a bank, a trench, and is made from two different types of stones. It is believed to have been a sun temple. In my imagination, I associated this temple with the blazing sun shining down on us. How amazed we were when we stood before its grandeur, amidst the burial mounds.
Upon returning to the visitor center, we spent a short time at the exhibition of prehistoric objects, accompanied by a temporary exhibition Echoes: Stone Circles, Community and Heritage. I thought deeply about the importance of these exhibitions not only in connecting different civilizations with each other but also in stimulating the visitor’s memory.
Then we headed to the café and shop, which had been renovated to accommodate the influx of visitors, leaving a positive impression as they viewed and purchased the exhibits.
Next, we visited the Neolithic houses located outside the visitor and exhibition center, which were absolutely breathtaking. Volunteers explained the daily activities of Stonehenge’s inhabitants, such as grinding grain and making rope. I felt an indescribable sense of amazement as they explained the lives of prehistoric inhabitants
My colleagues and I really enjoyed this experience. I took many photos of the site, and I felt like a resident of Stonehenge. I wished I had stayed that night inside the Neolithic houses to see how they spent their nights there!