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47-503: The archetypical stone circle is an uncluttered enclosure, large enough to congregate inside, and composed of megalithic stones. Often similar structures are named 'stone circle', but these names are either historic, or incorrect. Examples of commonly misinterpreted stone circles are ring cairns , burial mounds , and kerb cairns . Although it is often assumed there are thousands of stone circles across both Great Britain, Ireland and Europe, such enclosures are actually very rare, and constitute

94-486: A ring cairn and cremation remains. Irish axial stone circles are found in Cork and Kerry counties. These do not have tall flanking stones on either side of the recumbent stone. Instead, there are two tall stones at the side of the circle opposite the recumbent stone. These are known as 'portals', as they form an entrance into the circle. Often the portals are turned so that their flat sides face each other, rather than facing

141-577: A stone alignment . The Cork–Kerry stone circles tend to be more irregular in shape with larger but fewer and more widely-spaced orthostats around the axial stone. Examples can be found throughout Continental Europe, from the Black Sea to Brittany . Locations in France include several in Brittany (two on the island of Er Lannic and two more suggested at Carnac ), several in the south of France on

188-531: A circle of "paired-posts" inside of the embankment ring and ditch. The 48.5 feet (14.8 m) circle was made up of sixty two "paired" post sets and eight single posts. Other examples have been found at Hopewell culture sites in Ohio. Moorehead Circle was constructed about two millennia ago at the Fort Ancient Earthworks . It was discovered in 2005 by Jarrod Burks during magnetic surveys at

235-630: A diameter of 250 metres (820 ft) was built around a passage tomb on the Hill of Tara . Smaller timber circles were built at sites including Newgrange and Navan . Timber circles in the British Isles likely served ritual purposes. Animal bone and domestic waste found at many timber circle sites implies some form of temporary habitation and seasonal feasting. They were built on high ground and would have been very conspicuous. Isolated burials have been found at some sites, but not enough to suggest

282-413: A different number of posts. Because four of the circles overlap each other it is thought they were built in a sequence, with each iteration generally being larger and containing 12 more posts than its predecessor. A full sequence for what has become known as Woodhenge III was found (except for nine posts on the western edge that had been lost to dump trucks for road construction fill) and a reconstruction of

329-604: A foundation trench. Recent research shows that the two oldest stone circles in Great Britain ( Stenness on Orkney and Callanish on the Isle of Lewis ) were constructed to align with solar and lunar positions. Most sites do not contain evidence of human dwelling, suggesting that stone circles were constructed for ceremonies. Sometimes, a stone circle is found in association with a burial pit or burial chamber, but most of these monuments have no such known association because of

376-517: A lack of archaeological investigation. Recumbent stone circles are a variation containing a single large stone placed on its side. The stones are often ordered by height, with the tallest being the portals, with gradually reducing heights around each side of the circle, down to the recumbent stone, which is the lowest. This type is found throughout Great Britain, Ireland and Brittany, with 71 examples in Scotland and at least 20 in south-west Ireland. In

423-406: A regional form of henge . Examples of true stone circles include Cumbrian circles , henges with inner stones (such as Avebury ), and Cornish stone circles . Stone circles are usually grouped in terms of the shape and size of the stones, the span of their radius, and their population within the local area. Although many theories have been advanced to explain their use, usually related to providing

470-646: A ring of concrete posts marking the position of one of the circles. Postholes from a number of timber circles have been found during excavations of Adena culture causewayed ring ditch sites in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky and adjacent regions of Ohio and West Virginia . A notable example was found by archaeologist William S. Webb during the excavations of the Mount Horeb Site 1 in Fayette County, Kentucky in 1939. Webb discovered

517-417: A setting for ceremony or ritual, no consensus exists among archaeologists regarding their intended function. Their construction often involved considerable communal effort, including specialist tasks such as planning, quarrying, transportation, laying the foundation trenches, and final construction. Growing evidence suggests that megalithic constructions began as early as 5000 BC in northwestern France and that

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564-657: A strong funerary purpose. Timber circles have a long history among Native American societies; their use stretches back for thousands of years and continues into the present day. From the 3400 year old Archaic period Poverty Point site in Louisiana to 2000 year old Hopewell tradition circles found in Ohio to the Sun Dance performed in wooden pole "corrals" by the Dhegihan-Siouan and Caddoan speaking peoples of

611-571: The Basque country , where villagers call them mairu -baratz or jentil -baratz, meaning "pagan garden (cemetery)". They refer to mythological giants of the pre-Christian era. No example has survived in a good state of preservation, but, like the Alentejo, the Basque Country is dotted with eroded and vandalized examples of many such structures. Ancient stone circles are found throughout

658-544: The British Isles date to the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age . The posts themselves have long since disappeared and the sites are identified from the rings of postholes that they stood in. Aerial photography and geophysical survey have led to the discovery of increasing numbers of the features. Often a postpipe survives in the posthole fill aiding diagnosis. They are usually more than 20 metres (66 ft), and up to 60 metres (200 ft), in diameter and

705-975: The Causse de Blandas in the Cevennes , in the Pyrenees , and in the Alps (e.g. the Petit Saint Bernard ). One notable stone circle is in the Italian Alps. As early as 1579, scholars in Germany described large erect stone circles near Ballenstedt . In 2001, a stone circle ( Beglik Tash ) was discovered in Bulgaria near the Black Sea. There are several examples in the Alentejo region of Portugal,

752-774: The Great Plains . An early example of a timber circle witnessed by Europeans was recorded by watercolor artist John White in July 1585 when he visited the Algonquian village of Secotan in North Carolina . White was the artist-illustrator and mapmaker for the Roanoke Colony expedition sent by Sir Walter Raleigh to begin the first attempts at British colonization of the Americas . White's works represent

799-518: The Horn of Africa . Booco in northeastern Somalia contains a number of such old structures. Small stone circles here surround two enclosed platform monuments, which are set together. The circles of stone are believed to mark associated graves. At Emba Derho in the Ethiopian and Eritrean highlands , two kinds of megalithic circles are found. The first type consists of single stone circles, whereas

846-462: The University of Louisiana at Monroe and Mississippi State University , led by Poverty Point station archaeologist Dr. Diana Greenlee. They discovered evidence in the 37.5 acres (15.2 ha) plaza area for multiple wooden post circular structures ranging from 82 feet (25 m) to 206 feet (63 m) in diameter; built during the earliest habitation of the site circa 2400 BCE. The site now has

893-602: The British Isles concluded that construction techniques were spread to other communities via sea routes, starting from north-western France. In contrast, the French archaeologist Jean-Pierre Mohen in his book Le Monde des Megalithes wrote that the British Isles are "outstanding in the abundance of standing stones, and the variety of circular architectural complexes of which they formed a part ... strikingly original, they have no equivalent elsewhere in Europe – strongly supporting

940-525: The arcs could be whole circles and that the site was possibly a calendar for tracking solar events such as solstice and equinoxes. He began referring to the circles as "woodhenges"; comparing the structures to ones found in England. Additional excavations found evidence for five timber circles in the general vicinity, now designated Woodhenges I through V in Roman numerals . Each was a different diameter and had

987-522: The argument that the builders were independent." Some theories suggest that invaders from Brittany may have been responsible for constructing Stonehenge. Although stone circles are widely distributed across the island, Ireland has two main concentrations: in the Cork / Kerry area and in mid- Ulster . The latter typically consist of a greater number of small stones, usually 1' (0.3 metres) high, and are often found in upland areas and on sites that also contain

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1034-569: The cairn ceased to be used. Timber circle In archaeology , timber circles are rings of upright wooden posts, built mainly by ancient peoples in the British Isles and North America . They survive only as gapped rings of post-holes , with no evidence they formed walls, making them distinct from palisades . Like stone circles , it is believed their purpose was ritual, ceremonial, and/or astronomical. Sometimes in North America they are referred to as woodhenge . Timber circles in

1081-473: The central area, graves and pits with cremation ashes, fireplaces and sometimes, small, low cairns are found. The slightly oval ring cairns near Arthur's Stone on the Gower Peninsula show that the inner edges of ring cairns were especially carefully constructed and were set in front of a small grave. Originally there was a passage through the ring here, about ten metres across, that was blocked when

1128-489: The centre of the circle. A concentric stone circle is a type of prehistoric monument consisting of a circular or oval arrangement of two or more stone circles set within one another. They were in use from the late Neolithic to the end of the early Bronze Age and are found in England and Scotland. Cobble pavements have been found in the centre of many examples. Connected features at some sites include central mounds, outlying standing stones, and avenues or circular banks on which

1175-413: The centuries around 2000 BC. Although details vary from one site to another, nearly all comprise a ring of small upright stones set on the inner edge of a roughly circular bank. Ring cairns may have had a function that lay somewhere between that of the much older henges and the contemporary stone circles . In northeast Scotland the recumbent stone circles seem to have encircled a cairn and typically it

1222-538: The circle was built in 1985; with the posts being placed into the original excavated post positions. The Illinois State Park system oversees the Cahokia site and hosts public sunrise observations at the vernal and autumnal equinoxes and the winter and summer solstices. Out of respect for Native American beliefs these events do not feature ceremonies or rituals of any kind. Archaeologist Marvin Fowler has speculated that

1269-535: The coastal and lowland areas towards the north of the United Kingdom . The Langdale axe industry in the Lake District may have been an important early centre for circle building , perhaps because of its economic power. Many had closely set stones, perhaps similar to the earth banks of henges . Others were constructed from boulders placed stably on the ground rather than standing stones held erect by

1316-582: The context of other monuments, namely henges , such as that at Woodhenge and henge enclosures such as those at Durrington Walls . The only excavated examples of timber circles that stood alone from other features are Seahenge and Arminghall in Norfolk and the early phases of The Sanctuary in Wiltshire . Several Early Bronze Age timber circles have been found in Ireland . A huge timber circle with

1363-574: The custom and techniques spread via sea routes throughout Europe and the Mediterranean region from there. The Carnac Stones in France are estimated to have been built around 4500 BC, and many of the formations include megalithic stone circles. The earliest stone circles in Great Britain were erected 3200–2500 BC, during the Middle Neolithic ( c.  3200 –2500 BC). Around that time, stone circles began to be built in

1410-565: The earth. Megalithic monuments are found in especially great number on the European Atlantic fringe and in Great Britain and Ireland. There are approximately 1300 stone circles in Great Britain and Ireland. Experts disagree on whether the construction of megaliths in Britain developed independently or was imported from mainland Europe. A 2019 comprehensive radiocarbon dating study of megalithic structures across Europe and

1457-474: The large hilltop enclosure near Lebanon, Ohio . The site consists of three concentric circles; with the outer circle being about 60 metres (200 ft) in diameter. Robert Riordan, Professor of Archaeology at Wright State University and lead archaeologist investigating the site, estimates that about two hundred wooden 10 feet (3.0 m) to 15 feet (4.6 m) tall posts were set in the outer circle. According to radiocarbon dates performed on charcoal found at

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1504-427: The latter nation they are generally called axial stone circles , including Drombeg stone circle near Rosscarbery , County Cork. Scottish recumbent circles are usually flanked by the two largest of the standing stones immediately on either side. These are known as 'flankers'. The stones are commonly graded in height with the lowest stones being diametrically opposite to the tall flankers. The circle commonly contains

1551-527: The middle of the ring was later used (at Hound Tor , for example, there is a stone cist in the centre). The low profile of these cairns is not always possible to make out without conducting excavations. These sites date to the Bronze Age and occur in Cornwall , Derbyshire ( Barbrook IV and V and Green Low) in England; and in Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The cairns look like flat variants of

1598-592: The oldest and most complete being the Almendres Cromlech near the regional capital of Évora and within its municipality. Remains of many others consist only of the central anta (as they are known in the Alentejo). This sometimes appears to have been used as an altar but more often as a central burial structure, originally surrounded by megaliths that show only sparsely survived erosion and human activities. These circles are also known as harrespil in

1645-492: The participants had come from surrounding villages and that " every man attyred in the most strange fashion they can devise havinge certayne marks on the backs to declare of what place they bee. " and that " Three of the fayrest Virgins " danced around a central post at the center of the timber circle. The oldest known timber circles in North American archaeology were found at Poverty Point in 2009 by archaeologists from

1692-411: The position of the equinox sunrise and sunsets. Four other posts in the circle were shown to be at the summer solstice sunrise and sunset and the winter solstice sunrise and sunset positions. This setup is nearly identical to the diameter and post positions of Woodhenge III, differing only in that Woodhenge III was 2 feet (0.61 m) smaller in diameter. The placement of the two mounds at the location and

1739-433: The posts that constituted them were generally more than 50 centimetres (20 in) wide. Often they consist of at least two rings or ovals of timber posts, although some consist of only one ring. Wider gaps between the posts are thought to have served as entrance routes. The builders replaced the posts as they decomposed and in some cases stone circles were adopted instead during later phases. They appear either alone or in

1786-406: The relevant Misplaced Pages category . Ring cairn A ring cairn (also correctly termed a ring bank enclosure , but sometimes wrongly described as a ring barrow) is a circular or slightly oval, ring-shaped, low (maximum 0.5 metres high) embankment, several metres wide and from 8 to 20 metres in diameter. It is made of stone and earth and was originally empty in the centre. In several cases

1833-673: The second type comprises an inner circle enclosed within a larger circle (i.e. double stone circles). On the western side of the continent, the Senegambian stone circles can be found. The individual groups are dated from 700 A.D. to 1350 A.D. In the Near East, possibly the oldest stone circles in the world were found at Atlit Yam (about 8000 BC). The locality is now submerged near the Levantine Mediterranean coast. Other locations include India or Japan. See more in

1880-541: The significantly higher Clava cairns , which are often called ring cairns by laymen. The situation is rather different on the gritstones of the Eastern Uplands. Here it is more common to find smaller stone circles and ring cairns. The patterned relationship of these smaller monuments to cairnfield systems throughout the Eastern Moors suggests that they were built and used by specific communities, probably in

1927-464: The site have dated the structure to 200-300 CE. The existence of the series of woodhenges at Cahokia was discovered during salvage archaeology undertaken by Dr. Warren Wittry in the early 1960s in preparation for a proposed highway interchange. Although the majority of the site contained village house features, a number of unusually shaped large post holes were also discovered. They formed a series of arcs of evenly spaced posts. Wittry hypothesized that

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1974-605: The site, it was built between 40 BCE and 130 CE, with other charcoal fragments from burnt posts dating to 250 to 420 CE, suggesting the circle was in use for several centuries. In September 2005 archaeologist Frank Cowan conducted excavations at the smaller circular enclosure at the Stubbs Earthworks in Warren County, Ohio ; discovering a timber circle 240 feet (73 m) in diameter and composed of 172 large posts. Carbon dating of charcoal found in post molds at

2021-567: The sole-surviving visual record of the native inhabitants of the Americas as encountered by England's first colonizers on the Atlantic seaboard. White's watercolor and the writings of the chronicler who accompanied him, Thomas Harriot , describes a great religious festival, possibly the Green Corn ceremony , with participants holding a ceremonial dance at a timber circle. The posts of the circle were carved with faces. Harriot noted that many of

2068-401: The south of Monks Mound. Several post holes of what may have been a ceremonial area with a 412 feet (126 m) in diameter circle and 48 posts. Archaeologists have dated the placement of at least one of the posts to approximately 950 CE. Archaeological research has shown that four of the posts were at the cardinal locations of north, south, east and west, with eastern and western posts marking

2115-600: The stones are set. Alternatively, they may be replicas of earlier timber circles rebuilt in stone, especially the examples in Wessex . A funerary purpose is thought to be likely, especially by Aubrey Burl . He thought that such sites in Cumbria are analogous to the kerbs that surround some chamber tombs . Burials have been found at all excavated concentric stone circles: both inhumations and cremations. The burnt remains have been found either within an urn or placed directly in

2162-424: The woodhenges also served as “aligners” and that there may have been as many as 3 more in other strategic locations around the city of Cahokia, built to triangulate and lay out construction projects. At least one other possible circle at Cahokia has been put forward by Fowler, but his suggestion has not yet gained full acceptance by other archaeologists. This location was discovered near Mounds 72 and 96 , directly to

2209-509: Was a ring cairn, as distinct from a Clava cairn. In some instances, in particular at Tomnaverie stone circle , the cairn was built before the circle according to an overall design. Usually all superficial trace of the cairns has disappeared over the millennia. The fact that in southeast Wales there are so few stone circles could be related to the fact that ring cairns were built there instead. Although graves have been found in some ring cairns, this does not appear to be their original purpose. In

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