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Five stunning stone circles (besides Stonehenge)
Every year thousands of tourists flock to Stonehenge, the iconic stone circle on Salisbury Plain, England. While so much attention is focused on this site, especially with the recent discovery of another monument near Stonehenge, people often forget there's more than a thousand stone circles in the British Isles and Continental Europe. Built during the Neolithic starting about 5,000 years ago, these sites are beautiful and have gathered a lot of strange folklore over the centuries, like the mistaken belief that they were built by Druids or giants. Here are five of the best.
The Ring of Brodgar, Orkney Isles, Scotland
The windswept Orkney Isles north of Scotland are covered in prehistoric remains. The Ring of Brodgar, seen above in this photo courtesy of Beth Loft, is built of thin, tall stones on a narrow isthmus between two lochs. Its architects obviously had an eye for dramatic setting. It dates to between 2500 and 2000 BC, a boom time for monumental building in the Orkneys. It's the northernmost stone circle in the British Isles and also the third largest at 104 meters (341 ft) in diameter. Like many major circles it's part of a network of sites, with tombs and single standing stones scattered in the area around it. Legend has it that the Vikings were so impressed with the Ring of Brodgar when they arrived in the ninth century AD that they worshiped their gods here. Some Viking Runes carved into the stones may support this theory.
Avebury, England
Bigger than Stonehenge, the site of Avebury just 17 miles north of Stonehenge consists of a massive stone circle 331.6 meters (1,088 ft) in diameter with two avenues of stones leading to a pair of smaller stone circles. Construction began around 2900 BC, roughly the same time as its neighbor. Other monuments, such as the mysterious artificial mound of Silbury Hill and the West Kennet Long barrow, an ancient tomb, are an easy walk away. During the Middle Ages the locals got religion and decided this pagan monument needed to go. They knocked over several stones until one fell over and crushed one of the vandals. Everyone thought this was just a legend until modern archaeologists dug up a fallen stone and found the skeleton of a man underneath with some 14th century coins in his pocket!
Gallery: Stunning Stone Circles
Rollright Stones, England
This stone circle makes a fun day hike from Oxford. Most stone circles are pretty small. This one is only 33 meters (108 feet) in diameter but has some interesting details. One stone has a hole through which you can see a tall monolith called the King Stone in a nearby field. A nearby dolmen (a small roofed tomb of stone) is called the Whispering Knights. Legend says the circle and these two outlying monuments are a king and his knights who were turned to stone by a witch. Actually the circle and monolith were built by prehistoric people between 2500 to 2000 BC. The Whispering Knights date to about 3500 BC. In prehistoric times, the presence of one monument encouraged people to build more.
Drombeg Stone Circle, Ireland
Drombeg Stone Circle in County Cork is a tight little collection of stones 9 meters (30 feet) in diameter. It's of a type known as a recumbent stone circle because the largest stone lies on its side flanked by two smaller ones. This was deliberate; the stone didn't fall down. What this means is anyone's guess, although the local claim that it's a "Druid's Altar" is fanciful because the circle dates to the Bronze Age, about 2000 BC, and the druids were priests of the Celts, who didn't appear on the scene until around 300 BC. Radiocarbon dating on a burial found in the center of the circle yielded a date between 150 BC and 130 AD. Just like at the Ring of Brodgar, later people were attracted to the site. While Drombeg didn't start out as a Druid's altar, maybe it ended up as one!
The Stone Circles of Senegambia, Senegal and The Gambia
Stone circles in Africa? Yep, these monuments aren't as grandiose as the ones in Europe but they're equally mysterious. There are about a thousand of them in a region of central Senegal and Gambia, meaning there's about as many stone circles here as in all of Europe. The stones are as tall as 2.5 meters (8 ft.), although some are only a foot or so high. They mark burials dating from the 3rd century BC to the 16th century AD. There's a large concentration of them at Wassu, Gambia. Locals put small stones on top of them as a sign of respect. Not much is known about these stone circles but they are beginning to attract attention from the archaeological community. A certain Gadling blogger may be visiting them next year, so stay tuned.
This stone circle makes a fun day hike from Oxford. Most stone circles are pretty small. This one is only 33 meters (108 feet) in diameter but has some interesting details. One stone has a hole through which you can see a tall monolith called the King Stone in a nearby field. A nearby dolmen (a small roofed tomb of stone) is called the Whispering Knights. Legend says the circle and these two outlying monuments are a king and his knights who were turned to stone by a witch. Actually the circle and monolith were built by prehistoric people between 2500 to 2000 BC. The Whispering Knights date to about 3500 BC. In prehistoric times, the presence of one monument encouraged people to build more.
Drombeg Stone Circle, Ireland
Drombeg Stone Circle in County Cork is a tight little collection of stones 9 meters (30 feet) in diameter. It's of a type known as a recumbent stone circle because the largest stone lies on its side flanked by two smaller ones. This was deliberate; the stone didn't fall down. What this means is anyone's guess, although the local claim that it's a "Druid's Altar" is fanciful because the circle dates to the Bronze Age, about 2000 BC, and the druids were priests of the Celts, who didn't appear on the scene until around 300 BC. Radiocarbon dating on a burial found in the center of the circle yielded a date between 150 BC and 130 AD. Just like at the Ring of Brodgar, later people were attracted to the site. While Drombeg didn't start out as a Druid's altar, maybe it ended up as one!
The Stone Circles of Senegambia, Senegal and The Gambia
Stone circles in Africa? Yep, these monuments aren't as grandiose as the ones in Europe but they're equally mysterious. There are about a thousand of them in a region of central Senegal and Gambia, meaning there's about as many stone circles here as in all of Europe. The stones are as tall as 2.5 meters (8 ft.), although some are only a foot or so high. They mark burials dating from the 3rd century BC to the 16th century AD. There's a large concentration of them at Wassu, Gambia. Locals put small stones on top of them as a sign of respect. Not much is known about these stone circles but they are beginning to attract attention from the archaeological community. A certain Gadling blogger may be visiting them next year, so stay tuned.
Filed under: History, Learning, Africa, Europe, Gambia, Senegal, Ireland, United Kingdom
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
Charles Aug 1st 2010 6:22PM
There is one in downtown Miami, Fla. Thank goodness it has stopped the construction of another view blocking condo!
dan Aug 1st 2010 7:35PM
there is a stonehedge in the state of washington,,,it is along the columbia gorge,,,,,it should be in this article.
Bill Aug 1st 2010 7:40PM
The stones in my kidneys are pretty neat too.
Photocrazy Aug 2nd 2010 10:43PM
I live in Washington State and we have a true replica of Stonehenge. In fact about 30 years ago when there was a totlal solar eclipse, the Druids, press from everywhere and a ton of people were there to see it. I was home watching it from my balcony, unfortunatly through lifting fog.
It is located south of Goldendale Washington, near Maryhill Museum, that has a large collection of Rodin sculptures.
http://www.experiencewa.com/attraction.aspx?id=191
ruthsgardens Aug 1st 2010 9:24PM
The last time I delved into this subject was because of the Discovery channel.They used GPS and satellite imaging connecting the dots.I was under the impression that they were built for land navigation by migrant tribes that would travel 600+ miles a year.What sold me on this theory is because of elevation.The satelite images showed shortcuts.But because of the elevations you could only see the distant stones on the horizon and with some form of an optical device to I my add.There were shortcuts but a person on the ground would have to know the land to know exactly where it is.As they cannot be seen from their elevation.But now some of you say there are more here in the US and elsewhere that I have never heard about.And I will jot them down and take a look.You never know.Are any of you old enough to remember the book the "Chariots of Fire"? I researched that in my younger days.And I was dumbfounded to.Beginning with the pyramids of Cheops and going around the world opened my eyes.Not only did the verticle angles show the vernal equinox and summer solstice's.Their longitudal angles shown by satellite did triangulate a triangle in 7 places around the world.Yes everyone knows of the Bermuda triangle.But did you know that NASA only uses these 7 triangles to exit or reenter our earths atmosphere? Not only all the other countries in the world who launch vehicles into space?There are holes in the ozone there and the earths magnetic field is weaker there.Along with a thinner atmosphere.And yes I know the universal number is 7.It seems no matter what numbers you add or subtract,divide or multiply or take the squareroot of in space always comes out to seven.Doesn't that make you wonder?I am not a believer in UFO's.But I do believe the Bible.The book of Ezekiel does give the answers.I have always believed that modern day ufo's are our world countries testing new technology.And many say that history records ufo's as comets or meteors which may be true.The description in Ezekiel to me depicts the coming down of angels or God himself.His description is pretty good coming from a man only knowing what a wheel was or an oxcart.There were references to an angel standing with one foot on the heavens and one on the earth.Other than our own experimental aircraft, I have always believed that if there was a ufo, it would have been an angel.An angel that has not manifested himself in an earthly body or image.But there are also references to God coming down as in Ezekiel.He also came down to talk to Adam and walk with him in his garden.He also come down to talk with Lucifer, his most loved and most beautiful angel after his spirit was cast down.There are many things we won't know until we die.I have seen a lot in my life.And learned a lot to.How about you?What do you know or have learned? Please share.
Beth Freeman Aug 2nd 2010 10:21AM
You forgot the most impressive stone circle in Scotland...the beautiful Callinish circle on the island of Harris & Lewis. Magic is still in the very air.