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Showing posts with the label Dolmens

Top Ancient Sites in Cornwall

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Cornwall is a county in Southwest England and it's known for its beautiful landscape and also for the huge amount of ancient sites. Cornwall is a delight for explorers and people interested in learning more about life in ancient times. Here we list 9 ancient sites that are totally worth a visit. MEN-AN-TOL Men-an-Tol consists of four granite stones: a holed stone with two upright stones to each side arranged in a line and a fallen stone at the foot of one of the upright stones. It's believed that this monument dates to either the late Neolithic or the early Bronze Age period. The real purpose of this arrangement is unknown. It's believed that this site was used for ritual and ceremonial purposes. Legend has it that the holed stone can cure children suffering from rickets if they are passed through the hole nine times. The stone was also believed to increase women's fertility. TRETHEVY QUOIT Trethevy Quoit is an impressive portal dolmen (cromlech) consisting of five stan

Top Ancient Sites in Wiltshire

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If you are on the lookout for places to bother stones, Wiltshire is certainly one of the best destinations in Great Britain. Wiltshire is a historic county in England known for the stunning prehistoric landscape and the ancient sites. It's a place to wander around and explore England's past. STONEHENGE Stonehenge is an obvious choice for this list. This impressive monument is part of the most dense complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England. Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument consisting of a ring of massive standing stones and horizontal stone lintels capping the outer circle. Two different types of stone (bluestones and sarsens) were used to build it. Archaeologists believe it was constructed from 3000 BC to 2000 BC. AVEBURY HENGE AND STONE CIRCLES Avebury is a Neolithic henge monument containing three stone circles. It's believed that the complex was constructed between 2850 BC and 2200 BC. The henge survives as a huge circular bank and ditch. Within the h

Dolmens in Wales

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Wales is home to some fascinating ancient sites, including stone circles and dolmens (cromlechs). A dolmens is a type of single-chamber tomb, usually consisting of two or more vertical stones supporting a large horizontal capstone. Here we list four dolmens that are worth a visit when travelling in Wales. TINKINSWOOD BURIAL CHAMBER Tinkinswood Burial Chamber was built around 6,000 years ago, during the Neolithic period. The capstone weighs approximately 40 tons and measures 24 feet. It's the largest capstone in Britain. It was originally all covered by a mound of soil. The site was excavated in 1914, revealing human bones, along with broken pottery and flint tools. ST LYTHANS BURIAL CHAMBER St Lythans Burial Chamber is a dolmen built as part of a chambered long barrow. It was built around 4,000 BC by the first farmers in Wales called the Silures. The dolmen consists of three upright stones supporting a large capstone. At the top of the rear stone is a porthole which may have been u

Top Ancient Sites in Oxfordshire

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Oxfordshire is a landlocked county in the region of Southeast England. The county is mostly known for being home to the city of Oxford and its prestigious university. But the county is also home to extensive prehistoric landscapes and ancient sites. Here is a list of the top ancient sites in this amazing county. ROLLRIGHT STONES The Rollright Stones consist of a complex of three Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments. The monuments are known as the King's Men, the Whispering Knights and the King Stone. The three monuments were built at different periods in late prehistory from local oolitic limestone and had distinct purposes. The Whispering Knights was the first of the monuments to be constructed in the area. The monument consist of the remains of a Neolithic portal dolmen used as a place of burial. Evidence suggests that the Whispering Knights is one of the earliest funerary monuments in Britain. It was constructed around 3,500 BC. The King's Men Stone Circle is a circle of about

Arthur's Stone and the legend of the giant

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Arthur's Stone is a Neolithic dolmen believed to be 5,000 years old. The tomb is topped by a large capstone which is broken with a large section fallen from its underside. The capstone rests on nine upright stones and weights more than 25 tonnes. These stones were once part of the inner chamber and they were once covered by a long earthen mound. It's unlikely that the monument was built solely as a tomb. It's believed that the Neolithic people could have gathered at the cairn to worship their ancestors. The tomb has never been excavated, but similar examples in this region have been found to contain human skeletal remains. Like many prehistoric monuments, Arthur's Stone has been linked to King Arthur. According to the legend, Arthur slew a giant on this spot. It's believed that the giant left the impression of his elbows on one of the stones as he fell. Arthur's Stone is situated on a hill near the village of Dorstone in England. © All rights reserved

Rollright Stones

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The Rollright Stones consist of a complex of three Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments located in two different fields on the borders of Oxfordshire and Warwickshire. The monuments are known as the King's Men, the Whispering Knights and the King Stone. The three monuments were built at different periods in late prehistory from local oolitic limestone and had distinct purposes. The Whispering Knights was the first of the monuments to be constructed in the area. The monument consist of the remains of a Neolithic portal dolmen used as a place of burial. Evidence suggests that the Whispering Knights is one of the earliest funerary monuments in Britain. It was constructed around 3,500 BC. The King's Men Stone Circle is a circle of about seventy stones constructed around 2,500 BC. It was used as a gathering place for Neolithic people. The King Stone is a monolith that was probably erected around 1,500 BC. It's believed that it was used to mark the location of a nearby Bronze Age b