landscape photo of ancient standing stones on Machrie Moor on the Isle of Arran in Scotland with Goat Fell in the background
landscape photo of ancient standing stones on Machrie Moor on the Isle of Arran in Scotland with Goat Fell in the background. Standing stones, orthostats, liths or more commonly, megaliths because of their large and cumbersome size, are solitary stones set vertically in the ground and come in many different varieties. Where they appear in groups together, often in a circular formation, they are sometimes called megalithic monuments. Standing stones are found throughout the world with no known or documented history. Standing stones are usually difficult to date but pottery found underneath some in Atlantic Europe connects them with the Beaker people; others in the region appear to be earlier or later however. A megalith is a large stone which has been used to construct a structure or monument either alone or with other stones. Megalithic means made of such stones, but uses an interlocking system without the use of mortar or cement. The word megalith comes from the Ancient Greek megas meaning great, and lithos meaning stone. Many megaliths were thought to have a purpose in determining important astronomical events such as the solstice and equinox dates (see archaeoastronomy). Cup marks on megaliths have been thought by some to represent stars and thus to show the stellar orientation of megalithic sites.
Size: 5069px × 3375px
Photo credit: © Michael Sayles / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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