Stonehenge Cursus Stonehenge Cursus The Stonehenge Cursus (sometimes known as the Greater Cursus) is a large Neolithic cursus monument on Salisbury plain, near to Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England. It is roughly long and between and wide. Excavations in 2007 dated the construction of the earthwork to between 3630 and 3375 BCE, several hundred years before the earliest phase of Stonehenge in 3000 BC. The cursus, along with adjacent barrows and the nearby 'Lesser Cursus' are part of the National Trust's Stonehenge Landscape property, and is within the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site. Cursus comes from the Latin for 'racecourse'. Early antiquarians
Cultural depictions of Stonehenge plot. The monument has also become popular in computer games, where alternative uses are often posited for Stonehenge, or its iconic nature is explored. Stonehenge features prominently in Peter Ackroyd's novel "Hawksmoor" (1985). Ylvis' song "Stonehenge" is a paean to the monument. The lyrics question the motivation and methods of the builders, asking "What's the purpose of Stonehenge? A giant granite birthday cake or a prison far too easy to escape?" Stonehenge plays a big role in the "Doctor Who" episodes "The Pandorica Opens" and "The Big Bang". The final scenes of Roman Polanski's film "Tess"(1979) based on the novel