Stones in Scotland in a circle. The mystery of the origin of stone circles in Scotland. Ancient sanctuary near the village of Kilmartin

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The purpose of the ancient stone circles that are found in Scotland is one of the oldest mysteries in archaeology. The columnist talks about a new theory of their origin.

Megaliths are scattered throughout Scotland - stone piles of various shapes, often representing vertically standing boulders or wind-cut slabs forming circles.

Two of these stone circles - Stenness on the Orkney Islands and Callanish on the Isle of Lewis - are considered to be among the oldest in Britain. Their age is about 5 thousand years. And there are many more such circles in Scottish villages.

Since some of the stones weigh ten tons or more, it is obvious that their transportation was fraught with enormous difficulties.

But the true reason for the appearance of stone circles and the choice of their location remains a mystery for many centuries.

However, one group of scientists claims that the answer to this question is already known.

Researchers have found evidence that the megaliths were oriented towards cosmic bodies, that is, located in such a way as to quickly find the Sun, Moon and stars in the sky and observe them.

But maybe that's not all.

Stenness and Callanish were built about five thousand years ago, during the Neolithic era, also known as the Stone Age. At that time, communities had already begun to lead a sedentary lifestyle and engage in agriculture.

Soon after this, Neolithic people began to create places to remember the dead. Megaliths became one of these places.

Tom suggested that the vertically mounted stones served as observatories

The hypothesis that these memorials were erected taking into account the then ideas about astronomy is not new.

A scientist named Alexander Thom began studying the stones scattered throughout Great Britain in the 1930s and devoted several decades to the task.

Paying attention to the geometric correctness of these structures, even if they consisted of boulders of different shapes, Tom suggested that the vertically installed stones served as observatories - places from which it was most convenient to observe the stars.

Now, more than half a century later, scientists have returned to considering this idea, as evidenced by the results of a new study published in August 2016 in the international scientific journal on archeology Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.

The article examines Thom's hypothesis about the link between megaliths and astronomy in more detail and reassesses the reasons for the construction of stone circles in Scotland.

First, scientists looked at the relationship between stone structures and astronomical events. They then compared the data with the terrain and altitude.

"We found that the skyline around these structures had only two different shapes - this in itself is incredible - and that the Sun and Moon were always located in this terrain at very specific points," said lead researcher Gail Higginbottom from the University of Adelaide. (Australia) - This pattern is characteristic of all these monuments. It’s simply amazing! "

According to them, the Universe obeys certain cycles and consists of opposites

Higginbottom concludes that the area where the stones were placed was chosen to show the extreme points of sunrise and sunset of the Sun and Moon.

Even in predominantly flat areas, people sought out high places to observe the most interesting movements of the Sun or Moon.

At the same time, Stenness and Callanish are considered the most ancient of such structures, the date of their appearance can be determined with a fairly high degree of probability. The remaining stone rings were built according to this principle already in the Bronze Age.

A team of scientists led by Higginbottom applied this “astronomical” formula to a total of more than a hundred Scottish stone circles, and in each of them similar patterns in the contours of the horizon line were noticed.

“Thus, we seem to be dealing with a tradition that probably began with the construction of these two stone structures and was observed [for two thousand years],” the researcher says.

In other areas of life of prehistoric people, we did not see anything that would confirm such a mathematical perception of the world

Although it is impossible to know exactly why megaliths were erected, Higginbottom believes that in this way people could designate those places that were “a permanent image of their perception of the Universe.”

This means that they were aware of certain cycles of the Sun and Moon, which in turn ensured their connection with nature.

“This indicates that, in their understanding, the Universe obeys certain cycles and consists of opposites: light and dark, north and south, day and night,” she said.

However, this hypothesis has many opponents.

Kenneth Brophy from the University of Glasgow (Scotland) agrees that the construction of stone circles was influenced by an element of astronomy. However, in his opinion, current scientific and mathematical concepts cannot be used to understand the motives of the builders of that time.

“This is too modern a view of the world,” Brophy believes. “They should be studied from the point of view of the balance of power in the then society and not get carried away by mysterious mathematical calculations.”

“In other areas of life of prehistoric people, we did not see anything that would confirm such a mathematical perception of the world.”

Brophy is convinced that these circles are ritual in nature and are intended to become evidence of power.

Essentially, these are very large houses for the dead and spirits

Their construction sites were chosen due to their special history, which attracted people.

For example, he said, research suggests that Callanish was built in such a way that one stone circle could be seen from the second, “as if by design of the set designer.”

The stones themselves also speak volumes. Callanish is built from stones with beautiful veining and patterns, demonstrating the amazing properties of the Earth.

"People didn't look at the sky," says Brophy. "They wanted to picture the Earth."

In addition, it is obvious that public rituals were performed in megaliths, primarily the commemoration of the dead.

In some places, in particular in the famous English stone structure Stonehenge, signs of burials and cremations are found.

Gordon Noble, a researcher at the University of Aberdeen (Scotland), who specializes in Neolithic archeology, notes that the layout of many Scottish megaliths is similar to the layout of ordinary residential buildings.

However, stone circles, apparently, were built not for the living, but for the dead. “They are essentially very large houses for the dead and spirits,” he explains.

Apparently, death was a very significant phenomenon for these pagans of the Neolithic period.

"It appears that the dead continued to influence everyday life," Noble says.

In his opinion, it is possible that people devoted more time to building houses for the dead than for themselves.

Although some of these structures - such as the recumbent stone circles in north-east Scotland - do appear to have links to astronomy, Noble agrees with Brophy that astronomy alone does not explain how they were built.

"I don't think if you needed to build something to mark a certain lunar cycle, you would use boulders that size," he says. "It wouldn't be necessary."

Noble argues that stone circles served not only for ritual purposes, but also to demonstrate status.

It is even possible that these stones began to symbolize the dead themselves.

Communities could compete with each other, erecting ever higher structures and thereby demonstrating their power.

Regardless of how or why megaliths were erected, it is clear that they were sacred to their builders.

“People then did not feel as safe as modern inhabitants of the Western world,” explains Higginbottom. “In those days, there was still a belief in a magical connection between objects and phenomena. People believed that by constructing these monuments, they were connecting death and nature.” .

It is even possible that these stones began to symbolize the dead themselves, whose physical shell was decaying, but the stones stood as “spectators of this magnificent celestial spectacle and the changing of the seasons,” says Higginbottom.

Callanish is formed by thirteen vertically standing monuments or groups of stones that form circles up to thirteen meters in diameter. The average height of the stones is 4 meters, but can vary between 1-5 meters. The stones are cut from local gneiss. By popularity Callanish stones can rival Stonehenge.

The interpretation of this ancient construction is still controversial, but most likely we are dealing with a giant lunar calendar. The moon passes through the southernmost point of the sky once every eighteen and a half years, and if you observe it from this place, you may get the impression that it is moving parallel to the horizon, almost touching the earth. That is why Callanish is closely connected with the surrounding landscape - stones as if they were growing out of the ground on their own.

Quartz veins in stones They are well warmed up by the sun and then emit soft energy and warmth. The stones that stand outside the circle are laid out in a shape similar to Celtic cross, and its ends point to the cardinal directions. It is difficult to determine exactly what rituals were performed here in Callanish, but the area continues to attract tourists from all over the world.

In the Bronze Age, according to scientists, the sanctuary, which was located in this area, was plundered and sown with grain. From about 800 BC. Callanish gradually turned into a peat bog, which by the mid-19th century covered the stones with an almost one and a half meter layer of peat.

The Ring of Brodgar in Orkney is thought to date back to 2500 and 2000 BC. e., but the age is not exact, because scientists have never determined it precisely.

Today, only 27 stones from the circular row have survived (previously there were about 60). The megaliths are located in a circle and are buried up to 3 m deep and 9 m wide.

Since the 18th century, huge stones gradually began to fall. So, in 1792, the ring consisted of only 18 megaliths, 8 lay on the ground, a few years later two more stones fell. Some stones have survived only in fragments.

Scientists have not yet figured out the feasibility of this building. In the 70s, the last studies of the structure were carried out, and in the center of the Circle of Brodgar they were not carried out at all.

Many assumptions have been made about the meaning of the buildings. Some scientists believe that megaliths were used as observatories, others that they were places for ritual procedures, and others suggest that megalithic structures served as meeting places.

There are many assumptions, but which one is correct? Another mystery of the complex, of course, remains the question of its origin. The Vikings were absolutely sure that the megaliths were erected by gods and heroes - giants.

Our researchers look at this issue more radically and agree on only one opinion: a construction of this kind required a large number of people and coordinated, lengthy and intense work inherent in a highly organized society. Just to dig a ditch in rock 7 meters wide and 380 meters long required more than 80 people who had to work 100 hours and 100 days. The ditch has survived to this day, although it is no longer as deep as it was before.

There are many legends around this place. In the old days, the monument was called the Temple of the Sun, and the male part of the betrothal ceremony took place here. The young people first went to the Temple of the Moon, and the bride took an oath of fidelity, then they moved to the Temple of the Sun, where the young man took the vow. Then the couple went to the Odin Stone, and took vows together. There is a hole in the huge monolith through which young people join hands - this is Odin’s oath. To break it is considered a huge sin.

There is more than one belief associated with this stone. To see all this beauty, and get acquainted with all the legends of the region, and maybe even perform a betrothal ceremony, you should definitely visit Scotland and the small village of Orkney.

However, not all local residents liked this increased attention to stones. So, shortly after Walter Scott visited a local landmark, farmer Ferry-Loper (foreigner) decided to dismantle the stone and use it in the construction of a cowshed. One stone was dismantled, and the other was simply destroyed. Through his actions, the farmer caused enormous damage to the complex. The residents were outraged by this behavior and even wanted to burn down his house. The farmer apologized for what he had done, but this did not cover the damage to the structure.

Since 1906, the Circle of Brodgar has been under state protection and is also included in the UNESCO List of Heritage Monuments. It is one of the four largest Neolithic Monument sites in Orkney: the burial chamber of Maeshowe, the Stones of Stennes, the settlement of Skara Brae and the Circle of Brodgar.

Megaliths are ancient structures made of huge stone blocks created by people. Nowadays, many such buildings have already been found all over the world, but their true origin and purpose still remains a mystery to scientists.

Scottish Stonehenge

Scottish Stonehenge, or Callenish as it is also called, is located on the Isle of Lewis, which is part of the Outer Hebrides. It is located in a deserted, gloomy place near the town of Stornoway. Callenish is a cromlech of thirteen huge stones installed vertically. Twelve of them form a ring, in the middle of which there is a stone pyramid. Around this structure there is an alley and other stones that may have previously formed concentric circles.

Scientists who studied this architectural monument believe that it is an ancient observatory, where our ancestors monitored the position of celestial bodies. By the location of these stones, they could determine the days of lunar and solar eclipses, and on the days of the summer and winter solstice, various rituals were performed here. Kallenish could also serve as a kind of calendar by which our ancestors calculated time.

Standing Stones of Stenness

The standing stones of Stenness are located in the Orkney Islands near Lake Harrey on a flat platform whose diameter is forty-four meters. They are twelve huge stone slabs up to five meters high and thirty centimeters thick, installed vertically in the form of a ring with a diameter of about thirty-two meters. In the center of this circle there is a monolithic slab. The entrance to the circle faces the ancient village of Barnhouse. Outside the circle there is another stone, which scientists assume is a viewing stone. Around the stones there is a ditch seven meters wide and two meters deep. The age of this structure dates back to 3000 BC. This majestic spectacle still looks mystical.

According to scientists, the Standing Stones of Stenness could be a temple of the sun or a so-called ancient observatory in which people observed the movement of celestial bodies. The stone slab in the center of the circle, apparently, played the role of an altar for sacrifices that were carried out on the days of the summer and winter solstices. This conclusion was made after burnt animal bones were found at this site.

Ring of Brodgar

The Ring of Brodgar is located on the Isle of Mainland, the largest of the islands in the Orkney archipelago. It is located on a narrow strip of land connecting the two lakes Harrey and Stennes. The Ring of Brodgar is a circle with a diameter of one hundred and four meters of vertically standing stones, ranging from two to five meters in height. This is one of the largest stone circles in the UK. Scientists suggest that there were at least sixty stones in total, but only twenty-seven of them have survived to this day. The stones are surrounded by a moat nine meters wide and three and a half meters deep; two passages were made to them.

Some suggest that the Ring of Brodgar, together with the Standing Stones of Stenness, form the so-called Orkney complex. In this case, the Ring of Brodgar should play the role of the Temple of the Moon. Based on the location of the stones, the position of the moon was determined and the lunar calendar was calculated. The Ring of Brodgar has been little studied, but research is still underway. Scientists managed to find out the position of forty of them, and also put forward several hypotheses about their origin and purpose.

Maeshowe Tomb

Maeshowe's tomb is located in Orkney near the Standing Stones of Stenness. This is a corridor-type tomb and burial cairn, perfectly preserved to this day, which has no analogues anywhere in the world. The Meishau tomb is a mound, inside which hides a whole system of corridors and rooms formed by processed slabs of mica sandstone. The mass of one such slab reaches thirty tons. The tomb is built in such a way that its central chamber is illuminated on the day of the winter solstice. This principle was also used in the construction of other similar tombs.

Despite the fact that the tomb itself is a unique monument of ancient archeology, unfortunately, it has not preserved any important artifacts or finds to this day. This happened because in the twelfth century the tomb was plundered by the Vikings, but they left behind runic records that are interesting to historians. In addition, careless archaeologists who were initially engaged in excavations destroyed the roof of the tomb.

Anyone who has seen the TV series “Outlander” or read Diana Gabaldon’s books is wondering where the magic stones of Craigh na Dun are, with the help of which the main character Claire went back in time.

I hasten to disappoint you, the stones shown in the series are decoration; they were installed in the town of Rannoch Moor, where the time travel scenes were filmed.

However, this does not mean that stone circles did not survive in Scotland. On the contrary, such pre-history monuments are found quite often in the Scottish Highlands, where the book and film are set. True, they are often not as monumental as those shown in the series. All the stones have the following in common: the tallest is in the southwest, and near the stones you can most often find mounds with tombstones made of stones. Today we will talk about three interesting monuments of pre-history, which can well be called prototypes of Craigh na Dun.

KLAVA CARENS – CLAVA CAIRNS – STONES NEAR CULLODEN

Perhaps the most realistic prototype of Craig na Dun in terms of geographical location can be called the Clava Cairsn complex; it is located just 1.6 kilometers south-east of the very place where the disastrous battle for the Scottish army at Culloden took place.

True, their appearance does not resemble Craigh-na-Dun. What is more remarkable here is not the vertical stones standing around, but the tombstones stacked like stone circles, rising above the mounds - they are sometimes called Scottish pyramids. And these pyramids are already surrounded by standing vertical stones.

The complex consists of three burial pyramids, together they form one common line, which runs in a dotted line along the southern valley of the Nairn River. The stone circles-tombstones located at the beginning and end of the line are not closed, they have a passage in the center, and through it you can get to the center of the structure. The central circle is solid. At the same time, the mound in the southeast of the complex is curious because its stones are decorated with famous Celtic mystical symbols.

According to scientists, initially the tombstone structures were three meters high. The central circle is surrounded by nine standing stones, the tallest of which faces southwest. By the way, there is a version that after the defeat at Culloden, it was here that many Scottish highlanders took refuge from the British, but, unfortunately, there is no documentary evidence of this. If you compare the location of the complex’s objects with a map of the starry sky, you cannot help but notice that the position of the circles and stones of Clava Cairsn coincides with the astronomical map of the northern part of the northern hemisphere of the sky, so this monument of pre-history is also considered an excellent example of ancient astrology and astronomy.

ANCIENT SANCTUARY NEAR THE VILLAGE OF KILMARTIN

Kilmartin Glen is one of the best preserved monuments of pre-history in the Highlands. The complex is located near the villages of Kilmartin and Argyll. The local sanctuary is about 3,500 years old; there are burials in the form of circles-pyramids with vertically standing stones, and a separate circle of large stones.

The complex's facilities are located at a decent distance from each other, so it will take about an hour to explore the entire Kilmartin Glen. In ancient times, this area was home to the ancient Gaelic kingdom of Dal Riada, and the stones were discovered in 1864 by Canon William Greenwell.

The local circle of vertical stones inevitably evokes associations with Outlander, since they are quite impressive. The stones are set in pairs, with each pair spaced approximately 70 meters apart, and some scientists suggest that the unusual structure was used in ancient times as an observatory to predict eclipses.

What’s especially nice is that there are usually few tourists in this area of ​​the Highlands, so extra people won’t interfere with contemplating the place, and perhaps you’ll walk around the sanctuary in pleasant solitude. You are allowed to climb on the stones and touch them with your hands (just be careful! Otherwise, you might also move back in time), and here, right in the middle of the stones, well-fed Scottish sheep graze. They calmly eat the grass that grows between the sacred stones, but they do not appreciate the company of tourists - they run away when approached so that only their hooves sparkle.

CIRCLE OF STONES NEAR THE FRASEIRS CASTLE

Since Jamie comes from the Fraser clan, I can’t help but note the circle of stones that can be found one kilometer from the Fraser ancestral castle. The castle itself is located near the village of Kemnai, which is five kilometers southwest of the town of Iveruri, a circle of stones is located in an open field and in the old days it also belonged to the Frasers.

The inner part of the circle is about 20 meters in diameter, the tallest stone, as is customary, faces southwest, and inside the circle you can find traces of a Scottish pyramid. In the nineteenth century, excavations were carried out here, during which the stones began to collapse, and after that it was a pleasant decision not to touch the circle. Yes, when the Moon rises in the sky, it moves strictly between the two highest stones of the circle.

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Yulia Malkova- Yulia Malkova - founder of the website project. In the past, he was the editor-in-chief of the elle.ru Internet project and the editor-in-chief of the cosmo.ru website. I talk about travel for my own pleasure and the pleasure of my readers. If you are a representative of hotels or a tourism office, but we do not know each other, you can contact me by email: [email protected]