Stone Circles & Their Significance

Posted Thursday 14. January, 2021

Category: Eurasian Israelism  ✷  ▼ Download (.md)

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Stone circles, in some form, have been observed worldwide. From Europe, especially the UK, to the Gambia. From Sweden to Russia. Perhaps most significant, in Israel. The simplistic design of the megaliths seems obvious, even random. It is conceivable that this design could be conjured by various cultures and peoples who have had no contact with each other, and in most cases this is probably likely. Despite this, it is interesting to note some key similarities found in structures made by people who are seperated by thousands of miles. Combined with the fact that stone circles are only one of several megalithic structures found worldwide (dolmens being another), an image is drawn.

Although circumstantial at best, the existence of these megaliths, and especially their large numbers in some places, can be used to draw lines between the stone age cultures of the Middle East and the Europeans. Stonehenge in England is perhaps one of the best known, and best preserved megalithic structures in the world. Although the current Stonehenge is only part of the original structure, specifically the inner part, modern reconstructions give an accurate picture of the megalith as it once stood.

Stonehenge of the Levant

Interestingly, a structure called the “Stonehenge of the Levant” shares key similarities with the English counterpart. Rujm el-Hiri in Golan Heights, Syria was constructed around the same, and also features the design of larger rings of stone surrounding smaller rings, leading to a central core. Notably, Rujm el-Hiri was built using around 42.000 smaller rocks placed next to each other, and not large stones placed upon each other, like Stonehenge.

Human remains have been found at both Stonehenge and Rujm el-Hiri, although dolmen, usually associated with burial, have only been observed directly around Rujm el-Hiri. The closest dolmen to Stonehenge, Devil’s Den, is around 25km away. It would be highly speculative, but possible, to associate both Stonehenge and Rujm el-Hiri with some sort of religious ceremonial practice. In the case of Rujm el-Hiri, the burials around the structure has been noted by many others as being very significant in the context of a religious practice. Until further evidence is presented, applying the same purpose to Stonehenge (on that merit alone) would be unfounded. Other circular structures have, like stone circles, been observed worldwide. Today, it is widely hypothesized that many of these structures functioned as solar observatories and calenders. Chanquillo in Peru, the Goseck circle in Germany and Arkaim in Russia have been proposed, with varying levels of credibility, as astronomical tools of the ancients. It has been proposed that Stonehenge served a similar function.

Stone Circles in America

While it is completely unfounded to claim pre-Colombian contact between South Americans and Europeans, especially at the approximate time of construction of these sites, it is an interesting observation that people in completely different parts of the world could devise sofisticated tools in such an obvious fashion, but without a clear purpose being obvious to future generations. The relationships between these structures, if there are any, must be further studied. I suspect that more similarities will be found between the stone circles of England and the few known circular structures of the Levant, but this is pure speculation on my part.

MARANATHA

M. L. Mayaan-Baruch

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