Early Neolithic
During the Neolithic, or 'New Stone Age', there were extensive cultural changes across north-western Europe. The introduction of See more

The archaeologist and stone circle specialist Aubrey Burl noted that the stone circle builders would have had to undertake "careful … See more

Aubrey Burl's gazetteer lists 1,303 stone circles in Britain, Ireland and Brittany. The largest number of these are found in Scotland, with 508 … See more

In the Mediaeval and Early Modern period onward, much folklore developed around the subject of the stone circles.
In Britain, several stone circles have been connected to the countless stones motif in folklore. The earliest recorded account comes from See more

The historian Ronald Hutton noted that, along with the chambered long barrows of the Early Neolithic, stone circles are one of the most prominent forms of monument produced in prehistoric Britain. Despite the commonly used term "stone circles", many of these … See more

There has been much analysis and debate about these monuments. No simple explanations have emerged. The original purposes of the stone ring monuments has been widely debated by antiquarians and archaeologists for several centuries.
These stone circles … See more

In some cases, the stones were removed from the rings for use as a building material. In others, the site has been disrupted by natural causes such as trees, the roots of which … See more