Are there henges in Europe?

Asked by: Stefan Bizness

While Europe’s most famous henge is undoubtedly Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England, there are many hidden megaliths across the continent. Some are older, some more mysterious, and all less crowded with tourists.

Where are henges found?

A henge is a prehistoric circular or oval earthen enclosure, dating from around 3000 BC to 2000 BC, during the Neolithic (also known as the new Stone Age) and early Bronze Age. There are fewer than 100 henges still surviving across Britain and Ireland, although it’s very likely that there were originally more.

Are there stone circles in Europe?

A stone circle is a ring of standing stones. Most are found in Northwestern Europe—especially in Britain, Ireland and Brittany—and typically date from the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age, with most being built from 3000 BC.

Are there other henges Besides Stonehenge?

Some of the best-known henges are at: Avebury, about 20 miles (32 km) north of Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain, in Wiltshire. Knowlton Circles, henge complex in Dorset. Maumbury Rings in Dorset (later reused as a Roman amphitheatre and then as a Civil War fort)

Are there stone circles outside the UK?

Aubrey Burl’s gazetteer lists 1,303 stone circles in Britain, Ireland and Brittany ( France). Most of these are found in Scotland, with 508 sites recorded. There are 343 on the island of Ireland;316 in England; 81 in Wales; 49 in Brittany (France); and 6 in the Channel Isles.

Are there stone circles in France?

The Carnac stones (Breton: Steudadoù Karnag) are an exceptionally dense collection of megalithic sites near the south coast of Brittany in northwestern France, consisting of stone alignments (rows), dolmens (stone tombs), tumuli (burial mounds) and single menhirs (standing stones).

Is Stonehenge in England or Scotland?

Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, England, about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Amesbury and 8 miles (13 km) north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is the remains of a ring of standing stones set within earthworks.

Are there stone circles in Ireland?

The Irish stone circles are usually smaller in diameter and are not surrounded by huge ritual structures. What is striking, however, is that of the 187 stone circles in the Republic of Ireland, over 100 are in County Cork, in the south-west of the island.

Are there any standing stones in the USA?

America’s Stonehenge is a 30-acre complex of standing stones, underground chambers and stone walls in North Salem, N.H. As the largest collection of stone structures in North America, it includes dolmens, or horizontal stone slabs on vertical stone uprights.

Are there stone circles in Australia?

Australia’s largest collection of standing stones is said to be at Murujuga, also known as the Burrup Peninsula or the Dampier Archipelago, in Western Australia, which includes tall standing stones similar to the European menhirs, as well as circular stone arrangements.

Are there standing stones in Scotland?

There are many ancient sites in Scotland, each with a tale to tell. Orkney and Shetland have a particularly prevalent number of standing stones but you can also find them in Dumfries & Galloway and Argyll.

Was there a Stonehenge in Australia?

Esperance Stonehenge is a full-sized replica of Stonehenge, in Esperance, Western Australia. It was built from 137 locally quarried stones of up to 50 tonnes (55 tons), and is aligned to the summer and winter solstices.