Stonehenge-like Circles Are Yet Another Planetary Mystery: Thousands Throughout the World

Stonehenge-like Circles Are Yet Another Planetary Mystery: Thousands Throughout the World



Among the megalithic structures of the ancient world, from huge pyramid complexes that boggle the mind, to rock walls consisting of precisely carved and placed stones of almost unimaginable size, to mysterious and beautiful stone circles, our history is rich with examples of ancient artistry and ingenuity.

Much speculation exists surrounding quarry and construction methods, and the ultimate purpose of these types of sites around the world is largely shrouded in mystery.

Locations like Teotihuacan in Mexico, or Petra, the stone city of Jordan have been studied for centuries by both the professional and the amateur. Entire volumes have been written providing exacting descriptions and academically based analysis. But some places, like Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England, seem to defy clear explanation.



Stonehenge doesn’t stand on its own, however. In Britain alone there are approximately 1400 Neolithic stone circles, globally that number may be as high as 5000. So much attention has been given to Stonehenge that many people are surprised to find that henges are so common in both Europe and Asia, and that even North American Indian tribes were known to construct standing stone circles.

Some of the more spectacular examples are:

1. Castlerigg Stone Circle 

Characterised by archaeologist John Waterhouse as “one of the most visually impressive prehistoric monuments in Britain.” Located near Keswick in Cumbria, North West England, Castlerigg is known as the most visited stone circle site in Cumbria, of which there are several. Antiquarian studies suggest that it was built in approximately 3200 BC (late Neolithic), making Castlerigg one of the oldest known stone circles in Europe, which in turn makes it a very important archaeological site.



Interestingly, Castlerigg is believed to have been an important part of the Neolithic Langdale axe industry and may have been used as a sort of marketplace for the trading of axes and other such wares. [1]  Today, much like Stonehenge, Castlerigg is used by pagan groups in solstice celebrations due to its celestial alignments.

2. Rollrite Stones

Actually three distinct Bronze Age Neolithic monuments, the Rollrite Stones consist of The King’s Men, The King Stone and The Whispering Knights. The three sites are located near the village of Long Compton on the border of Oxfordshire and Warwickshire in the English Midlands.



The Whispering Knights, a dolmen (a single chamber megalithic tomb), was the first to be built in approximately the 2nd millennium BCE, with The King’s Men following somewhere between the 2nd and 4th millennium BCE. The King’s Men is a stone circle believed to have trade based origins, much like Castlerigg, acting as a meeting place or market.

Related: A Possible Stonehenge Discovered Under Lake Michigan;

The King Stone, located just north of The King’s Men, is a single standing stone of unknown date. It is believed to have been a marker for or a component of a Long Barrow or other burial site, but there is some speculation as to its alignment to the stone circle. The Rollritte Stones, especially The King’s Men, are an important site for neo-pagan magico-religious rituals.

3. The Ring of Brodgar (Also Brogar or Ring o’ Brodgar) 

The third largest stone circle in the British Isles and the youngest monument on the Ness o’ Brodgar, The Ring of Brodgar is believed to have been built between 2500 BCE and 2000 BCE. It has typically defied traditional dating techniques, and as the centre of the circle has never been excavated, little is known about its true age and purpose. The Ring sits in the West Mainland parish of Stenness, on Orkney Isle in Scotland.


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