STONE BOTHERING

Carn Enoch is an ancient settlement on Dinas Mountain. It comprises rock outcrops and a possible ring cairn or hut circle. It's amusing walking around the rock outcrops and finding some interesting formations. A closer look reveals man-made cuts that appear to be very precise. But the most interesting sight is the rock with tally marks. The origin of these marks are a bit of a mystery. Nobody really knows what they mean. Some people suggested that they could be a lunar calendar. Others believe that the grooves were created by shaping and polishing stone axes in the Neolithic period. But there is also an interesting theory told to us by a local. Legend has it that when the ancient pilgrims walked past the stone on their way across the pilgrim path, they marked the stone to let other pilgrims know that they have passed that point. This was their way of communication. Carn Enoch is located near Fishguard in Wales. © All rights reserved

La Santisima Trinidad de Parana is a former Jesuit colony established by the missionaries in Paraguay in the 18th century. This mission along with others in South America were built as self-contained societies that existed to integrate the indigenous population with the Christian faith. The Jesuit Missions of Paraguay are considered some of the most impressive creations of the religious work of the Jesuits. La Santisima Trinidad de Parana is considered the biggest of all the missions. It has the biggest built temple with an altar carved from a single piece of stone. The large stone church was built around 1745 and it's the most spectacular testimony of the stone construction technology of this period. La Santisima Trinidad de Parana is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it's probably one of the least visited sites in the world. The ruins of this spectacular colony are located in the district of Trinidad in the Itapua Department of Paraguay. © All rights reserved

Machu Picchu is the most famous Inca site in Peru. It's located in the Peruvian Andes on a 2,430 meter mountain ridge, between the two mountains known as Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu. Despite the location, the Incas managed to construct a mesmerizing citadel with locally available materials such as limestone and granite. Machu Picchu was built over earthquake faults which suggests that large amounts of fractured stones were readily available for the construction of the citadel. The stones were cut precisely and wedged close together in jigsaw like patterns to prevent the buildings to fall apart during the earthquakes. More than 600 terraces were built to prevent landslides and erosion. They were layered with stone chips, sand, dirt and topsoil to absorb water and prevent it from running down the mountain. The Incas never used wheels to transport the heavy stones, many of them weighing more than 50 pounds. probably due to the steep terrain and dense vegetation. Machu Picchu is a U

Kilmartin Glen is an area in the the county of Argyll containing the most important concentration of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in mainland Scotland. Monuments include standing stones, cairns, carved stones, among others. Over 5,000 years of human history has been preserved in this iconic landscape. There are numerous ancient monuments within a six-mile radius of the village of Kilmartin, with 150 monuments being prehistoric. NETHER LARGIE STANDING STONES The Nether Largie Standing Stones are a group of five large stones arranged to form the letter X. They are aligned on an approximately North East to South West axis. It's not clear why the stones were placed there. The most accepted theory is that the stones together form a lunar observatory, which marks where the moon will rise and set at certain points in its cycle. If this is the case, evidence suggests that the lunar observatory was built about 3,200 years ago. CAIRNBAAN CUP AND RING MARKS Cairnbaan Cup and Ring Marks