This photograph shows the stones of Stonehenge up close. Stonehenge is the most well known megalithic structure.
Click on image for full size
Image courtesy of Corel Photography
Megaliths Revealed
Many people are interested in the mysterious megalithic structures that can be found around the world. A megalithic structure is a ancient monument made of large stones. Megalith comes from Greek; "mega" means big and "lithos" means stone.
Megalithic structures can be found across Europe, Russia, the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Even though they are far apart, many of the structures look alike. Some are Menhir structures. These are the upright or standing stones. Standing stones are often arranged in circles or lines. There are Dolmens. These are three or more upright stones with a stone that balances on top. A Cairn is a mound of stones that covers of one or more burial chambers. A Tumulus is a mound of earth, grass, and stones that covers a tomb. The Dolmen and Cairn structures were built with passageways through the rock to the tomb, but the Tumulus is totally closed off with dirt.
Its unclear what the exact purpose of the megaliths are. Many were used for burial grounds, some might have been used as route markers, some might have been used for religious purposes. Some that are aligned to the solstice points on the horizon (points where the Sun rises or sets on the summer or winter solstice) or to where the Moon sets on a special day might have been used for astronomical purposes. In many cases, we simply don't know.
All we do know is that these structures must have been really important to those who built them! Some of the megaliths are almost 7,000 years old. That means that 7,000 years ago people were moving stones of up to 180 tons in weight around the countryside. They did that without cranes or trucks or even simple horse-drawn carts! So, the time and effort put forth by the builders tells us these structures were important!
The most famous megalithic site is Stonehenge in England. But there are other cool ones too. Take a look at Newgrange of Ireland, Balnuaran of Clava in Scotland, Pentre Ifan in Wales, the stones of Fossa in Italy and the Carnac stones of France.
Shop Windows to the Universe Science Store!
The
Fall 2009 issue of The Earth Scientist, which includes articles on student research into building design for earthquakes and a classroom lab on the composition of the Earth’s ancient atmosphere, is available in our
online store.
You might also be interested in:
Our 2010 Summer issue of The Earth Scientist includes six articles dealing with various aspects of Earth Science. An article from NOAA details how lake effect snow can, under the right conditions, actually occur on the narrow Mississippi River.
...more
There are over 900 rings of stone located in the British Isles. The most famous of these stone rings is of course, Stonehenge. Stonehenge lies in Wiltshire, England. Stonehenge is so mysterious that it
...more
Not too far from Loch Ness, there lies three giant tombs made of stones. They are called the Balnuaran of Clava. The Balnuaran of Clava, giant tombs encased in stone, can be found close to Inverness in
...more
The stone structures of England and France are very famous. But, there are also stone structures in Wales, Sweden, Germany, Portugal, Spain, and Russia. The most popular site in Wales is Pentre Ifan. Pentre
...more
The stone structures of England and France are very famous. In Italy, you'll also find standing stones, stone rings, and stone tombs. An example of these stone structures is in Fossa, Abruzzo, in Italy.
...more
The stones of Carnac, France, are probably the most famous stones markings outside of those found at Stonehenge in England. There are many, many stones at Carnac. And these stones are very old too, the
...more
Some people would say that advanced astronomical astronomy was practiced at Stonehenge. But, it is not likely that ancient observers were able to make advanced predictions such as when lunar and solar
...more
"The movements of the heavenly bodies are an admirable thing, well known and manifest to all peoples. There are no people, no matter how barbaric and primitive, that do not raise up their eyes, take note,
...more
