List of stone circles explained

This is an incomplete photographic list of stone circles.

Australia

See also Aboriginal stone arrangementStone circles in Australia are sometimes revered as sacred sites by Australian Aboriginal people's. While often small, there are some large stones comparable to their European counterparts, particularly in Victoria. While some are small and not well attended, others are well-known, for instance the stone arrangements in Victoria at Carisbrook and Lake Bolac.[1]

Brazil

See also Parque Arqueológico do Solstício.[2]

Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and Brittany (France)

Aubrey Burl's gazetteer lists 1,303 stone circles in Britain, Ireland and Brittany (France). Most of these are found in Scotland, with 508 sites recorded. There are 343 on the island of Ireland; 316 in England; 81 in Wales; 49 in Brittany (France); and 6 in the Channel Isles.[3]

Channel Islands

Aubrey Burl records six sites in the Channel Islands, four on Guernsey and two on Jersey. All six are Cist-in-Circle monuments, which are influenced by chambered tomb design. Their relationship with the stone circle tradition of Britain, Ireland and Brittany is unclear.[4]

Guernsey

La Plate Mare

Jersey

Ville-ès-Nouaux

England

Cumbria

Birkrigg  - Two non-concentric circles, 2miles south of Ulverston:
Brat's Hill  - The largest of the Burnmoor stone circles: 1abbr=onNaNabbr=on south of Boot.
Castlerigg  - A 33adj=midNaNadj=mid ring consisting of 38 stones.
Gamelands  - Near Orton, Eden: .
Kinniside  - A reconstructed stone circle of 11 stones, .
Long Meg and Her Daughters  - Around 51 stones set in an oval shape measuring 100m (300feet) on its long axis.
Low Longrigg circles  - Two of the Burnmoor stone circles: 1miles south of Boot.
Oddendale  - Part of the Shap Stone Avenue monuments: .
Swinside  - A near perfect circle located in Lake District.
White Moss stone circles  - Two of the Burnmoor stone circles: 1abbr=onNaNabbr=on south of Boot.

Devon

Brisworthy stone circle
Grey Wethers stone circles
Ringmoor Down
Scorhill
Shovel Down
Tottiford Reservoir
Yellowmead stone circle

Lancashire

Cheetham Close  - Image of one of the remaining stones at this Druidic, Bronze Age site on the picturesque moors of Egerton, Bolton.

Oxfordshire

The King's Men  - one of three monuments that make up the Rollright Stones, found near the village of Long Compton.

Shropshire

Mitchell's Fold  - A 30 stone ring (15 still standing).

West Yorkshire

Twelve Apostles, West Yorkshire  -

Wiltshire

Northern Ireland

Down

Ballynoe stone circle

Fermanagh

Drumskinny stone circle

Tyrone

Beaghmore  - Located outside Cookstown. Seven circles, along with cairns and stone rows. One circle, known as the Dragon's Teeth, is filled with more than 800 small stones.

Republic of Ireland

See also: List of axial multiple-stone circles and List of axial five-stone circles. There are 187 stone circles in the Republic of Ireland. The vast majority of these are in County Cork, which has 103 circles. There are 20 circles in County Kerry and 11 in County Mayo. There is also a large fully intact stone circle in Grange in County Limerick, near Lough Gur[5] Grange[6]

Kerry

Scotland

Aberdeen City

Tyrebagger stone circle .

Aberdeenshire

See also: List of recumbent stone circles.

Cullerlie stone circle near Echt, Aberdeenshire.
Easter Aquhorthies recumbent stone circle, near Inverurie, Aberdeenshire.
Kirkton of Bourtie recumbent stone circle, Aberdeenshire: .
Hill of Fiddes recumbent stone circle, Aberdeenshire: .
Inschfield recumbent stone circle, Aberdeenshire: .
Loanhead of Daviot recumbent stone circle, Aberdeenshire.
Loudon Wood recumbent stone circle, Aberdeenshire: .
Midmar Kirk recumbent stone circle, Aberdeenshire: .
Old Keig stone circle, Aberdeenshire: .
New Craig recumbent stone circle, Aberdeenshire: .
The Nine Stanes, Aberdeenshire: .
Potterton recumbent stone circle, Aberdeenshire: .
South Ley Lodge recumbent stone circle, Aberdeenshire: .
St Brandan's Stanes, Aberdeenshire: .
Strichen stone circle, Aberdeenshire: .
Stonehead recumbent stone circle, Aberdeenshire: .
Sunhoney, Aberdeenshire: .
Tillyfourie recumbent stone circle, Aberdeenshire: .
Tomnaverie recumbent stone circle, Aberdeenshire.

Angus

Balkemback stone circle, Tealing: .
Colmeallie stone circle, .

Argyll and Bute

Cultoon stone circle, Islay: .
Ettrick Bay stone circle, Bute: .
Lochbuie stone circle, Mull: .
Temple Wood stone circles, .

Dumfries and Galloway

See main article: List of stone circles in Dumfries and Galloway. Aubrey Burl lists 43 stone circles in Dumfries and Galloway: 15 in Dumfriesshire; 19 in Kirkcudbrightshire; and 9 in Wigtonshire.[7] The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland records 49 stone circles in the region. Of these 49, 24 are listed as 'possible'; one is an 18th-century construction; and a number have been destroyed.[8]

The Girdle Stanes Near Eskdalemuir:
Glenquicken Near Creetown:
Lochmaben Stone Just south of Gretna
The Loupin Stanes Near Eskdalemuir:
Seven Brethren Near Lockerbie:
Standing Stones of Glenterrow Between Stranraer and New Luce:
Twelve Apostles Stone Circle, situated between Holywood and Newbridge, near Dumfries.
Torhouskie
Whitcastles stone circle NaNabbr=onNaNabbr=on northeast of Lockerbie:

Fife

Balbirnie Stone Circle near Glenrothes

North Ayrshire

The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland records 20 stone circles in North Ayrshire, all on Arran.[9] Five of these are listed as 'possible'. Aubrey Burrel's gazetteer records 19 stone circles on Arran.

Orkney

There are two stone circles on Orkney, both on the Mainland.[10] The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland records a possible third at Stoneyhill, also on the Mainland.[11]

Ring of Brodgar  - A 60 stone ring (27 still standing).
Standing Stones of Stenness, Orkney

Perth and Kinross

Croft Moraig  - 4miles southwest of Aberfeldy, Scotland .

Scottish Borders

See main article: List of stone circles in the Scottish Borders. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland records 16 stone circles in the Scottish Borders. Of these, three are marked as 'possible'.[12] Aubrey Burl's gazetteer lists the same number: 2 in Berwickshire; 2 in Peebleshire; 10 in Roxburghshire; and 2 in Selkirkshire.

Five Stanes
Harestanes
Ninestane Rig

Shetland

Aubrey Burl's gazetteer lists seven sites in Shetland, but notes that all are dubious.[13] The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland records three stone circles.[14] It does not include Hjaltadans, which is instead categorised as a 'stone setting'.[15]

Hjaltadans Fetlar

Stirling

Killin  - at the western end of Loch Tay .

Western Isles

Lewis
Callanish I Lewis.
Callanish II Lewis, a smaller stone circle.
Callanish III Lewis, a smaller stone circle.
Callanish IV Lewis, a smaller stone circle.
Callanish VIII Lewis, a smaller stone semicircle.
North Uist
Pobull Fhinn North Uist, .

Wales

Moel Tŷ Uchaf Llandrillo, Denbighshire.52.92°N -3.4°W
Bryn Cader Faner, Gwynedd52.8982°N -4.0114°W
Bryn Gwyn stones, Anglesey52.8982°N -4.0114°W

Bulgaria

Dolni Glavanak Cromlech (8th-7th century BCE)

Morocco

Mzoura Cromlech (5th to 4th century BC)

Japan

See main article: Ōyu Stone Circles.

The Ōyu Stone Circles (大湯環状列石 Ōyu Kanjyō Resseki) is a late Jōmon period (approx. 2,000 – 1,500 BC) archaeological site in the city of Kazuno, Akita Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. The site consists of two large stone circles located on an artificially flattened plateau on the left bank of the Oyu River, a tributary of the Yoneshiro River in northeastern Akita Prefecture. The site was discovered in 1931, with detailed archaeological excavations taking place in 1946, and in 1951–1952.

The larger circle, named the “Manza” circle has a diameter of 46 meters, and is the largest stone circle found in Japan. A number of reconstructions of Jomon period dwellings have been built around the site. The slightly smaller circle, named the “Nonakado” circle, is 42 meters in diameter and is located around 90 meters away, separated from the “Manza” circle by Akita Prefectural Route 66. Each circle is made from rounded river stones brought from another river approximately 7 kilometers away. Each circle in concentric, with and inner and an outer ring separated by an open strip approximately 8 meters wide.[16] Each circle contains smaller clusters of stone, including standing stones surrounded by elongated stones in a radiating orientation, forming a sundial which points toward the sunset on the summer solstice and allows for calculation of the winter solstice, the vernal equinox and the sun's movements.[17]

Each circle is surrounded by the remains of buildings, storage pits and garbage dumps, and clay figurines, clayware and stoneware (including everyday pottery), stone swords and objects have been discovered. Although the form of the stone circles made have been based on the shape of circular settlements, there is no indication of permanent settlement on the site.

The site has been submitted for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List as one of the Jōmon Archaeological Sites in Hokkaidō, Northern Tōhoku, and other regions.

Poland

Odry  - Odry in Poland.

Syria

Rujm el-Hiri (4~3000 BCE)  - Located northeast of the Sea of Galilee.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Long, A. & Schell, P., 1999, Lake Bolac stone arrangement (AAV 7422-394); management plan. An unpublished report to Aboriginal Affairs Victoria.
  2. Agence France Presse (AFP). 10.1163/9789004337862_lgbo_com_010242.
  3. Book: Aubrey, Burl. The Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany. Yale University Press. 2000. 978-0300083477. New Haven; London. 395.
  4. Book: Burl, Aubrey. The Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany. Yale University Press. 2000. 978-0300083477. New Haven; London. 403. registration. The Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany..
  5. Prendergast. Frank. 2015-07-10. The Great Stone Circle (B) at Grange, Co. Limerick. Journal of Skyscape Archaeology. 1. 1. 65–92. 10.1558/jsa.v1i1.26955. 2055-3498.
  6. Book: George., Roche, Helen. Eogan. From megaliths to metal : essays in honour of George Eogan. 2004. Oxbow Books. 1-84217-151-8. 56955668.
  7. Book: Burl, Aubrey. The Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany. Yale University Press. 2000. 978-0300083477. New Haven; London. 394. registration. The Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany..
  8. Web site: Canmore Advanced Search: Stone Circle: Dumfries and Galloway. 2014-12-31.
  9. Web site: Canmore Advanced Search: Stone Circle: North Ayrshire. 2015-03-19.
  10. Book: Burl, Aubrey. The Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany. Yale University Press. 2000. New Haven. 210.
  11. Web site: Canmore: Stoneyhill. 2015-03-19.
  12. Web site: Canmore Advanced Search: Stone Circle: Scottish Borders. 2014-12-31.
  13. Book: Burl, Aubrey. A Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany. Yale University Press. 2005. New Haven; London. 214.
  14. Web site: Canmore Advanced Search: Stone Circle: Shetland Islands. 2015-01-12.
  15. Web site: Canmore: Fetlar, Gravins, Fidler's Crus. 2015-01-12.
  16. Book: Naumann, Nelly. Japanese Prehistory: The Material and Spiritual Culture of the Jōmon Period. Asien-und Afrika-Studien der Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin (Book 6). 2000. Harrassowitz Verlag . 3447043296. 36–37.
  17. Book: Habu, Junko. Ancient Jomon of Japan. 2000. Cambridge University Press . 0521776708 . 184.

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