Natural megaliths or remains of ancient civilizations? Megaliths A wall of huge stones.
Stone structures dating back thousands of years are scattered throughout the world. Many of them appeared even before the invention of writing, so there is no evidence left about the builders and the purposes of the construction of these structures. However, despite the lack of written historical sources, the specific structure of ancient megaliths allows scientists to make fairly solid assumptions about the purpose for which these structures were built and what function they performed.
In the north-west of Ireland, near the town of Raphoe, there is a simple-looking circle that in the past could have served a variety of functions - from ritual to scientific. Around the embankment, in a circle with a diameter of 45 meters, there are 64 stones, the average height of which is two meters. Scientists estimate that the stone circle was built around 1400-1800 BC. According to the testimony of Oliver Davis, who began researching the ancient monument in the 30s, in the stone circle area there were signs that someone was trying to excavate using a makeshift method, but suddenly, perhaps out of fear, left the place.
Despite the study of the Beltani stone circle, its purpose has not yet been determined. According to one version, the answer lies in the name of the megalith. The word Beltani may be associated with the name of the pagan festival Beltane, during which bonfires were lit on the top of the hill, symbolizing the renewal of the powers of the Sun. Other hypotheses link the Beltany stone circle to the circles at Carrowmore Cemetery, suggesting that the Beltany circle was used in burial rituals for the dead. Some believe that the entire complex of stones and the mound that they frame hides something like a tomb underneath, but no one has yet been able to find out what is really there.
Megaliths of the Bada Valley
In Indonesia you can see interesting megaliths that resemble moai statues and are distinguished by high sculptural skill. Scientists cannot name either the exact age of the stone sculptures or their purpose. Questions from local residents did not help shed light on the mystery of the megaliths; the aborigines claim that “they have always been here.” However, local residents have a number of legends associated with these stone statues.
Some argue that megaliths were installed at sites of mass human sacrifice. Others say that the stone statues guard evil spirits. There is also a belief that these statues are petrified villains, and some even believe that they are able to move. Another surprising fact related to the megaliths of Bad is puzzling: the fact is that the statues are made of stone that is not mined in the area.
Wheel of Spirits
Rujm el-Hiri, or "wheel of spirits", is a megalithic structure located in the Golan Heights, on the border of Syria and Israel. The structure consists of four concentric circles and a central cairn. The largest outer diameter is 158 m (520 ft). The circles are made of basalt stones. The rings are connected to each other by jumpers. There were suggestions that the place in the center was intended for burial, but when studying the building, no burial was found below. There is a version that in the distant past, jewelry was stored here and was plundered by looters.
Scientists believe that the stone wheel was not built as a fortress or a place in which people could live. Judging by the structure of the building and how the sunrise and solstice correlate with the “spokes” of the wheel, a version was put forward according to which this structure served as a calendar.
Some researchers believe that rites of liberation of the deceased from all carnal things were carried out in the circle, involving the separation of flesh from bones. After the ritual, the bones were moved to another place, this may explain the absence of buried remains in the circle. However, no evidence of such events was found in Rujm el-Khiri. Whatever the purpose of the “spirit wheel,” it is clear that a lot of time and effort was spent on its construction, and this object was very important to the people who used it.
The Rudston Monolith is the tallest single stone in Britain. Such stone monoliths are called menhirs. This menhir is located in the church cemetery of the village of Rudston and its height is 7.6 meters. The age of the monolith dates back to 1600 BC. Considering the size and venerable age of the monolith, it is not surprising that local people pass on stories and legends associated with this stone from generation to generation. According to one of them, this stone was previously a spear that the devil threw at the church, but ended up in the ground of the church cemetery. Another story tells that a stone spear was thrown from above, aiming at cemetery vandals.
Sir William Strickland excavated the entire area in search of any archaeological evidence of the true history of the stone. According to him, half of the monolith is deep underground, respectively, its real height is twice as high as the known figure. The researcher also discovered many human skulls, hinting that this place could be used for human sacrifices and religious rituals. However, neither the skulls nor local folklore sheds any light on what actually happened at the Rudston stone.
Individual standing megalithic monuments in Cornwall are called Pipers and Merry Maidens. Pipers are two separate stones, and the Merry Maidens not far from Pipers form a perfectly shaped stone circle. There is an entrance on the eastern side of the structure, which could theoretically indicate the use of megaliths for astronomical purposes. In the vicinity of the megalithic complex there are many burial grounds, which in turn allows scientists to assume that the stones were related to spiritual rituals or funeral rites. It is possible that the stones, installed in a strict order, performed several functions at once.
Despite the fact that Pipers and Merry Maidens stand apart from each other, these structures are invariably mentioned in the same context. According to one of the local legends, two bagpipers played for dancing girls on one Sunday, but since such behavior was prohibited on such a day, the musicians and cheerful dancers turned into stones. Sounds good, but is it true?
In County Galway, Ireland, everyone can admire the amazing stone, which was once placed in the area of the Firvor ring fort. Later the stone was moved to the vicinity of Turua's house. The stone has a round shape and is decorated with patterns made in the ancient Celtic technique “la tene”. The Turua Stone represents the most striking and well-preserved example of this decorative stone work in Europe.
However, what purpose did this stone serve? Nobody knows the exact answer to this question. Given the characteristic, almost phallic, shape of the stone, some experts suggest that the stone was used in rituals aimed at increasing fertility in all its manifestations.
Another version associates the English spelling of the name Turoe with the phrase "Cloch an Tuair Rua", which means "stone of the red heath". The presence of the word “red,” according to researchers, may hint that sacrifices, including human ones, were practiced at the stone. There is an opinion that this stone was originally located in France and came to Ireland later.
On the territory of the highland plain in the center of the Iberian Peninsula, as well as in the north of Portugal and Galicia, you can find more than 400 granite, rather rough, but realistic sculptures of animals - most often boars, which is why the Spaniards call them "verraco" (from the Spanish verraco - wild boar ), as well as bears and bulls. Scientists date them to the 4th-1st centuries. BC e. It is assumed that the creators of verraco were the Vettones, the ancient Celtic people of Spain.
The Guisando bulls are perhaps the most famous of the verracos. This is a sculptural complex of 4 statues, dating back to approximately the 2nd century BC. e. It is believed that these bulls once had horns, but under the influence of precipitation and wind they were destroyed. Some historians believe that the stone figures of bulls were made separately from each other, and were assembled together much later.
Scientists are not sure of the true purpose of the stone bulls, but it has been noted that verracos are located in places where they are clearly visible to others. Perhaps the sculptors simply wanted to draw attention to their work. The location of the bulls in a clearly visible place could also be associated with some religious issues. Some believe that verracos protect villages and farms from evil spirits.
Gray Rams is a unique megalithic structure of its kind. Its originality lies primarily in the fact that this structure consists of two circles located next to each other. There are 30 stones in each circle, the diameter of the stone circles is 33 meters. Excavations of the stone circles revealed a thin layer of charcoal, which may indicate extensive fires in the area. It is obvious that something was happening inside the circles, but what exactly is unknown.
There is a version that connects circles with spiritual concepts. That is, one circle is connected with the world of the living, and the other represents those who have passed on to another world. The rituals performed in the “circle of the living” were aimed at creating portals between the two worlds. Another theory does not emphasize the spiritual nature of the stone circles, but links them to the gender of their visitors: one circle was intended for men, the other for women. There are those who believe that representatives of different tribes met in this place, here they traded, feasted and resolved pressing issues. And what do sheep have to do with it, you ask?
Local legend explains the name of the megaliths as follows: one day a farmer came to Dartmoor and immediately began to criticize the quality of sheep at the local market. After a couple of glasses, the locals managed to convince the visiting farmer that they had a product that could satisfy his refined taste. The tipsy farmer was taken to a field where sheep were supposedly grazing. The weather was foggy, and the farmer, seeing unclear silhouettes in the fog, believed the sellers. Having paid, the next morning the poor fellow discovered that he had not bought real sheep, but stones that were standing in the field.
Locals call this megalithic complex the “altar of the Druids.” Dromberg consists of 17 menhirs, the origin of which is unknown. But certain assumptions can be made about the purpose of these stones: one of the stones is oriented to the point of sunset during the winter solstice. Perhaps it was a calendar.
In addition, another interesting find was discovered in Drombrge: the remains of a cremated person were found in a broken vessel, and the vessel was deliberately broken during burial. The age of the burial dates back to 1100-800 BC. Archaeologists have found that in the vicinity of the stone circle there once lived people who, for some reason, came to Dromberg and were forced to stay there for a while.
In the north of Mongolia you can see megaliths covered with amazing carvings, which were installed at the burial sites of warriors or at the site of sacrifices, and served as unique monuments to the buried. A total of 1,200 free-standing stones were found, ranging in height from one to five meters. They date back to the late Bronze and early Iron Ages.
Almost all the stones have images of deer, both realistic and fantastic. In addition to deer, on the stones there are images of horses, the sun, birds, weapons, and various geometric figures.
Some historians believe that such an interaction of natural elements - deer, sun and birds - may symbolize the path that the soul takes when passing into another world. The spirit leaves the earth (deer), enters the sky (bird), and then to heaven, that is, to the next world (sun). Perhaps images of deer on stone blocks provided protection from evil spirits.
Site materials used:
Megaliths (from the Greek μέγας - large, λίθος - stone) are structures made of huge stone blocks. Everyone knows about such stone structures as Stonehenge, Easter Island statues, Egyptian or Mayan pyramids, etc. But there are a lot of similar stone structures around the world. Let's talk about some of them.
Kalasasaya and Puma Punku (Tiahuanaco). The Incas believed that it was in this place that the creation of the world took place
Puma Punku is a complex of megalithic buildings located in Bolivia near the ancient site of Tiwanaku.Puma Punku is a terraced hill covered with megalithic blocks. The size of the base is 167.36 m from north to south and 116.7 m from west to east. In the north-eastern and south-eastern corners of the complex there are 20-meter-wide projections extending 27.6 m from the rectangular embankment to the north and south. To the east is the Stone Platform (Plataforma Litica), which consists of a stone terrace measuring 6.75 m by 38.71 m and many huge stone blocks. One of the building blocks of the Stone Platform is the largest stone block found at Puma Punku and Tiwanaku. This red sandstone block is 7.81 m long, 5.17 m wide, and has an average thickness of 1.07 m. Its weight is estimated at 131 tons.
A notable feature of the Puma Punku is the I-shaped construction brackets made from a unique copper-arsenic-nickel alloy. These staples were also used on one of the sections of the canal found at the base of the Akapana pyramid at Tiwanaku. They were used to hold the blocks that made up the walls and bottom of stone channels. I-shaped brackets of unknown composition were used to hold together the massive slabs that made up the 4 large platforms 
Terraces in Sacsauman, Cusco, Ollantaytambo, Machu Picchu, Tambo Macaya (Peru).
The colossal fortress is made of huge stone blocks, fitted to each other practically without gaps, and so skillfully that for many centuries they have stood unshakably without the slightest maintenance or repair. The Incas built this complex for protection from enemies. Here you can see three parallel powerful stone walls of a zigzag shape (there is a hypothesis that Sacsayhuaman was dedicated to the god of lightning). They are built from stone blocks, the largest of which is 8.5 m high and weighs about 200 tons. The longest wall is 400m and 6m high.
The purpose of the megalithic wall of Sacsayhuaman is a mystery, but it is not the only one left by ancient architects. No less mysterious is the question of the technique of such construction itself. Many researchers believe that the Cyclopean stone structures were erected by a more developed and older culture that existed here long before the arrival of the Incas.
Ollantaytambo
The scattering of stones here is also surprising - the stones scattered everywhere are more reminiscent of the fact that Ollantaytambo was once attacked by an enemy equal in strength. And the explosion scattered the megaliths around the area. And only one wall remained standing. And their huge size defies any logic, and even the fact that narrow stone layers are inserted between the stones, the purpose of which is not entirely clear. And even if we assume that they only hold the giants together so that they come closer to each other and do not fall apart, then the next question will be: how were they connected so precisely?The giants stand with a slight slope; they are also supported from below by rather small stones. Scientists have suggested that previously the stones were lined with gold or quartz and, by reflecting the sun's rays, could be a powerful weapon against enemies, or a powerful source of energy.
The official version says that the Incas built this complex for a very long time, and that is why “tired” stones are scattered around in such quantities. It was as if they were not brought to the building site. But they carried them up the hill. And local historian Inca Garcilaso de la Vega reports that one day one of the rulers (Inca) tried to repeat the achievements of the past and took twenty thousand slaves to carry one of the stones up. People were unable to do this; moreover, the stone fell and crushed three thousand people. And even if the numbers lie, then, having reduced them by a factor of two, we still see: people cannot move megaliths with their own strength. It was some other technology.
In Ollantaytambo there are giant building blocks of andesite and pink porphyry scattered in the “sacred area” and the first row of terraces
A fantastic hypothesis was put forward on the website “Living Ethics in Germany” - the ancient builders of South American megalithic structures softened rocky matter to a jelly-like state with the help of their psychic energy. Then they cut it into huge blocks of arbitrary shape, transported them through the air to the building site using telekinesis, and there they laid them in the walls, fitting one to another through the same method of softening rock blocks into a plastic substance, giving them the desired shape on the spot. There is no other way known to us to build something like this today.
Baalbek in Lebanon
The most interesting buildings in Baalbek are the huge terraces. They are laid out from huge stone blocks weighing from 300 to 1000 tons (for example, the average weight of stone blocks in the Cheops pyramid is 2.5 tons), and they are laid without any binding composition and so precisely and neatly that you can even insert a needle between them very problematic.
The Temple of Jupiter did not survive to this day; it was destroyed by a powerful earthquake. All that remains of it are 6 columns 22 meters high.
The three walls of this terrace are made of nine rows of monolithic blocks, each measuring 11 x 4.6 x 3.3 meters and weighing more than 300 tons. The fourth wall is special; it was made from three of the largest processed stones in the world. The weight of each of them is about 1000 tons, the dimensions are no less impressive - 29 x 4 x 3.6 meters. This wall is better known as Trilithon.
And this is the southern stone - in fact, the largest processed stone block in the world, or rather, almost processed - part of it was never separated from the rock. The southern stone was found in a quarry a kilometer from the city. The weight of the monolith is more than 1000 tons.
Besides the fact that scientists are arguing over the question of who built Baalbek, it is also unclear how. Only one thing is known - all the stones were processed manually with a chisel, but how they were delivered there is unclear. The version about wooden rollers does not stand up to criticism; stones of such weight would turn a tree into dust and it would take about 50,000 people to move one such stone, which is incredible for that time, because There were even very few cities with such a population. In addition, the blocks had to be lifted and placed accurately. Today there are only a few cranes in the world capable of lifting such a weight. And then?
Megaliths in Asuka Park, Japan
One of the largest in the park is the Masuda Iwafune monolith, which is 11 meters long, 8 meters wide, and 4.7 meters high.
This huge stone, which was clearly hand-carved from a single piece of granite, weighs at least 7 tons. Surprisingly, the age of the monolith is more than 2.5 thousand years. Another amazing fact is that the granite rock from which the megaliths were made is incredibly strong, even with the use of modern equipment it is extremely difficult to leave even a scratch on its surface.
Residence of the Emperor of Japan - the styling is amazing
The city of Shravanabelagola, India, is famous for its carved columns, with a unique shape, the method of processing of which is still unclear to scientists
The ideal polished surface of the columns and intricate patterns amaze with perfection - how they did this with the help of chisels, chisels and other hand tools is difficult for researchers to answer.
The world's largest obelisk, weighing 500 tons and 32.9 m high, is located in Ethiopia, in the town of Axum.
Made of bluish granite and covered with mysterious carvings, the monolith has now fallen and split into several partsThe question of how and with what help this structure was made remains open. Moreover, scientists discovered that the obelisk goes deep underground - Beta Giorgis Hill, on which the so-called “Field of Steles” (Axum Stelae Field) is located, is a huge, 115-meter-long platform made of hewn basalt slabs. The largest slab on a rectangular platform is 33.5 m high and weighs about 500 tons. The remaining blocks are slightly smaller - 20-24 m. During excavations, scientists found that the stele is just the upper part of a structure, truly fantastic in size, hidden underground.
And here are our Russian mysterious buildings - Khabarovsk megaliths
Mount Vottovaara
Geologists believe that the cracks and faults were formed as a result of a strong earthquake about 9 thousand years ago. The even planes of the stones are the result of the properties of the local rock - quartzite, the structure of which determines such even planes when split.
But other researchers do not give this version a go - the stones are cut as if by a laser and some angles are exactly 90 degrees, in addition, stone balls were found under the stones - how quartzite could split and roll at the same time is not clear
The masonry is clearly visible here. Or is the split due to nature?
Mountain Shoria (Western Siberia, Mezhdurechensky district, Kameshki village)
The size of the blocks is impressive; according to one version, the find is a man-made structure over 100 thousand years old
Scientists have come to the unequivocal conclusion that these megalithic structures are man-made. But how they were raised to such a height, in the middle of the taiga, and most importantly why, is a mystery.
By the way, a huge block was found in Shoria; according to researchers, it is the brother of the block from Baalbek
All over the world you can see incredible blocks of stone that have stood on Earth for thousands of years. They were installed long before people began to make any historical records, and therefore who built them and why remains unknown. It is believed that some dolmens were used as burial sites, others for stargazing. Our review contains the most interesting megalithic structures and the stories associated with them.
1. Beltani stone circle
Found in the north-west of Ireland, near the town of Raphoe, the Beltany stone circle consists of 64 stones arranged in a 45 meter diameter circle around a mound. It is believed that the stones (which are mostly 2 meters high) were installed around 1400 - 800 BC.
There appears to have been some preliminary exploration of the site in the early 20th century when one Oliver Davies stated that "the site of the stone circle had recently been unscientifically excavated and left everything in a terrible confusion." Despite excavations, almost nothing is known about Beltani. The word "Beltany" possibly comes from the word "Beltane", which was the name of a pagan holiday.
"Beltane" in turn comes from "Baal Tinne", which means "fire of Baal". During this festival, bonfires were lit on the top of the mountain to “restore the power of the Sun.” Other theories claim that the Beltany Circle is similar to those at Carrowmore Cemetery, hinting that the site was used during burial procedures.
2. Megaliths of the Bada Valley
In the Bada Valley in Indonesia, you can find well-preserved sculptural monuments carved from solid stone blocks. Thanks to their unusual, remarkable appearance and the skill of their unknown creators, one would think that it would be fairly easy to determine when and why these megaliths were created. However, historians find it difficult to even answer how old they are, let alone why they were made. When trying to ask locals about their purpose, the invariable answer is that the stones have "always been there." \
Although archaeological evidence regarding the purpose of these megaliths has not yet been found, local residents have their own legends. Some believe that megaliths date back to the time of human sacrifice, others say that they exist to ward off evil spirits.
The most interesting theories are that these are criminals who have turned into stone or that stones are able to move on their own. Adding special intrigue is the fact that the megaliths are made of stone that is not found anywhere else in the area.
3. Wheel of Spirits
Also known as the "Wheel of Giants", the Wheel of Spirits is a large circular megalithic structure near the Sea of Galilee. It looks like a giant stone wheel with inner rings and "spokes" that connect them. Right in the middle of the inner ring is a burial site. Not only are archaeologists unsure if this burial site was made at the same time as the wheel, further study of the Spirit Wheel revealed that there were, in fact, no burials at this site.
It is believed that the site was once home to valuable artifacts, as there is evidence that the excavation site was looted. As for the proposed functions, archaeologists do not believe that the site was built for habitation or defense. Some believe it was a calendar, given how the sunrise at the solstices aligns with the "spokes" of the wheel.
4. Rudston Monolith
The Rudston Monolith is the tallest menhir in the whole of Great Britain, which is located in the village of Rudston in the church cemetery. This impressive 7.6 meter high stone was probably erected around 1600 BC. Considering the age and popularity of the menhir in the village, it is not surprising that there are a lot of legends among local residents about its origin.
One legend claims that the monolith was a spear created by the devil to attack the church. Fortunately for him, he supposedly missed and the spear ended up in the cemetery instead of the church. As for the archaeological evidence of its origin, Sir William Strickland excavated and found that the monolith is half underground, i.e. it is at least 2 times higher than what is visible from the outside. He also discovered a huge number of skulls, potentially hinting at a sacrificial or religious purpose for the monolith.
5. Pipers and the Merry Maidens
Located in Cornwall, Pipers and Merry Maidens are separate megalithic monuments. The Pipers consists of two standing stones, while the Merry Maidens, located a short distance away, form a stone circle. The circle is completely complete, and on its eastern side is the entrance to the entire structure, which may hint at the astronomical purpose of the megaliths.
The area around these rock formations is rife with burial sites, which may be due to the fact that the stones had something to do with spiritual or funerary practices. Local legend claims that two bagpipers once played for the dancing maidens on a Sunday, which was forbidden. As a result, they petrified on the spot.
6. Turua Stone
A beautiful sculptured stone in the early Celtic style can be found in County Galway, Ireland. The Turua Stone was once located within an Iron Age ring fort called the Rath of Feerwore. The upper half of the stone is covered with traditional Celtic abstract patterns made using the La Tene technique.
However, given that the stone has a slightly phallic shape, some sources claim that it may have been used in fertility rites. However, the name "Turoe" comes from "Cloch an Tuair Rua" ("Stone of the Red Pasture"), leading some to believe that the red symbolism is indicative of sacrifices performed in front of the Turoe Stone. Others believe that the stone originally came from France and only then was transported to Ireland.
7. Gisando Bulls
Found in the Spanish province of Avila, Spain, the "Bulls of Guisando" are a strange group of four bull statues carved from stone. They are part of a group of 400 similarly carved animals called verracos, which date back to around the fourth century BC.
Even though "verraco" means "boars", there are different types of statues, such as these bulls. The four bulls are made in different poses, so they look like a group of bulls grazing in a field. It is believed that they were once horned, but due to the influence of atmospheric phenomena, the horns disappeared over the centuries.
Archaeologists do not know why verracos were made, but speculate (since such sculptures are usually found in places where they can be easily discovered) that they had a religious element and may have served to protect cities and farms from evil spirits.
8. Gray sheep
The "Grey Rams" on England's Dartmoor are a rare occurrence among megaliths in that they are not one, but two stone rings right next to each other. Both circles are made of 30 stones and their diameter is approximately 33 meters. During the excavation of the circles, a thin layer of charcoal was discovered, which suggests that fires were once often burned in this place. Why they did this in stone circles is a mystery.
Some claim that the circles were used to communicate with the world of spirits - one of them contained the living, the other was intended for spirits. Others place less emphasis on the spiritual element, stating that the two circles served for a ritual in which men were in one circle and women in the other. Still others believe that the circles could have been used as a meeting place for two neighboring tribes.
As with many other mysterious structures, the Gray Rams have their own myths associated with them. One of them says that a farmer who moved to Dartmoor once criticized the selection of sheep at the local market. After drinking ale in a tavern, the locals convinced him that they had fine sheep for sale. They led him to a foggy ravine, where the farmer allegedly saw the silhouettes of a herd. He bought sheep, and the next morning when he woke up, he discovered that he had actually bought "Grey Rams."
9. Dromberg
Also known as the "Altar of the Druids" among locals, Dromberg is a stone circle of 17 menhirs. While its exact origins are relatively unknown, there is some evidence as to why it was built. One of the stones is oriented in such a way that it coincides with sunset during the winter solstice.
During excavations in the Dromberg area, something even more interesting was discovered: the remains of a cremated person in a broken pot. The age of this burial was determined to be from 1100 BC. to 800 BC No one knows why the person was buried in such a peculiar way, but it hints at ritual purposes. In addition, there is evidence that people lived near Dromberg.
10. Deer stones
Reindeer stones, which are found throughout Northern Mongolia, are amazing carved megaliths that are often found around burial mounds. The height of these megaliths (of which about 1,200 have been found so far) typically ranges from 1 meter to 5 meters. They are believed to have been made around 1000 BC.
What makes these stones especially interesting is that they have deer depicted on them. The most ancient stones depict deer in “ordinary poses.” But as the years passed, deer began to be depicted on the stones, soaring in the sky. Next, deer began to be depicted interacting with the Sun, for example, holding it on their antlers. Interestingly, the remains of warriors with deer tattoos were also found in Northern Mongolia.
Megaliths, huge structures made of massive stone blocks, are also found in our country. There are quite a lot of similar structures in Russia, but they are not as well known as the famous Stonehenge in the UK or Ollantaytambo in Peru. We will get acquainted with the ancient megalithic structures found on the territory of Russia further.
The first place we will start our journey is Mount Vottovaara - the highest point of the Western Karelian Upland - 417.3 m above sea level. The area of the mountain is 6 square meters. km.
The place is simply full of strange artifacts after which you begin to think about ancient highly developed stone processing technologies, let's take a better look at the photo.
Mount Vottovaara.
Megalith blocks are scattered.
Was the near block cut at an angle of 90 degrees or a play of nature?
It’s like using a laser:) geologists believe that the cracks and faults were formed as a result of a strong earthquake about 9 thousand years ago. The even planes of the stones are the result of the properties of the local rock - quartzite, the structure of which determines such even planes when split.
So is it nature or man-made? Let's take a closer look.
More like perfectly cut blocks tightly fitted to each other. It’s hard to imagine an ancient ancestor with a copper chisel somewhere on a mountain turning out such even blocks.
Good angle, perfectly straight wall.
Who lost the ball?)
This obviously involved high technology in stone processing, or is it just a play of nature? :)
Mount Pidan.
At first glance, it looks like an unremarkable pile of cracked rock.
But getting closer it looks more like megalithic masonry.
Looking between the blocks, where the stones were less exposed to erosion from wind and rain, you can see the man-made nature and how smooth edges have been preserved.
In the place where the joint of the blocks split apart, an even cut can be seen and the technology for laying these blocks opens before us.
Stone town in the Perm region.
According to scientists, the Stone City is the mouth of a river that flowed into the Permian Sea millions of years ago; this is what explains the beautifully and evenly, at right angles, carved stones, their neat laying and the “channels” of the “mouth” perpendicular to each other.
Stone city.
Look how smooth the sides of the megaliths are, as if they were cut down.
Again the old method of looking between the blocks inside the masonry, look at the far block in the center, an even cut along the entire length of the block.
They say somewhere on the Kola Peninsula there is this pool carved right into the rock.
In the south of Western Siberia in the mountainous Shoria in the Mezhdurechensky region there is a small geological village called Kameshki.
Several educated, talented geologists live in this village. These are Alexander Bespalov, Vyacheslav Pochetkin and others. These people spent their entire lives researching the mountain systems of Western Siberia. One day they came across strange megalithic structures in the mountains, which they could not explain to themselves. These were walls made of giant stone blocks and strange buildings with vertically mounted stone obelisks. They contacted Georgy Sidorov via the Internet, and the first expedition was assembled.
Mountain Shoria.
Some granite blocks below were made of red granite, topped with blocks of gray granite, and above lay a polygonal masonry of various blocks, both red and gray granite.
The granite in some places melted from exposure to enormous temperatures and flowed under the weight of the upper rows. Kungurov would say about this that these are traces of melting from a thermonuclear explosion :)
The wall is made of polygonal masonry made of multi-colored blocks.
The size of the blocks is impressive; according to one version, the find is a man-made structure over 100 thousand years old.
In the photo, Georgy Sidorov, in his opinion, this entire megalithic structure may be the ruins of an ancient power plant or power plant, which transferred seismic energy to some others.
Looking inside the masonry again, where the blocks were less susceptible to erosion, smooth straight edges are visible, look at how the two blocks lie tightly, the handicraft is better visible here.
Polygonal masonry.
Mountain Shoria. Huge blocks.
at the Department of Radiophysics at Tomsk State University they showed photographs on the screen, talked about various types of masonry, about the stone locks that hold together giant granite blocks, and not a single physicist said that all this was of natural origin. What surprised them most was how the ancients could lift giant stone blocks to a height of more than 1000 meters and install them there on a special platform.
Then, in the Tomsk branch of the Russian Geographical Society, the photographs were studied by scientific geologists and geographers. Both of them came to the conclusion that the presented artifacts were man-made.
Sklyarov was asked to comment on the find. And what did he say? That all the artifacts found are nothing more than rocks cracked at right angles. That there is nothing man-made here. Just a game of nature, nothing more.
After these words, I am not surprised why LAI does not study Russian megaliths.
Between blocks.
For comparison, on the left is the megalith in Baalbek, on the right is the megalith in the mountainous Shoria, it looks like the author is the same :)
Mount Shaman near the village. Nizhnetambovskoe, Khabarovsk region.
Ancient megalithic masonry.
Again, the handiwork and straight lines are better visible between the blocks.
Large megalith block.
A large megalith block on small stones, this is done for better earthquake resistance.
The megalithic masonry resembles Mountain Shoria.
Kabardino-Balkaria, cave in the Baksan Gorge.
First you need to squeeze into a hole measuring 40 by 120 cm, then climb down a narrow vertical shaft on a rope. It is formed by two parallel stone slabs. After 9 meters there is the first “knee”: the hole goes to the side and immediately breaks down again. Already here you will be covered in absolute silence - not a sound penetrates from outside. Another 23 meters deep - and a new “knee”. To reach the bottom of the cave, you need to overcome more than 80 meters, and it will take a whole hour. But, having passed the “bottleneck”, you will find yourself in a huge room, which the researchers called the “flask”. Inside we will see processed walls made of tuff and granite, composed of polished megaliths of different sizes, tightly fitted to each other.
Descent into the cave.
The edges of the blocks and the seams between them are clearly visible.
The smooth masonry is amazing and the seams are clearly adjusted to each other.
The triangular blocks have moved slightly apart.
Barely noticeable seams of blocks on the left half-lunar wall and on the wall behind it.
How do you like the seams?
Rotate the cave at an angle of 90 degrees. Two large megalithic blocks stand on top of each other.
The technologies for processing stone are amazing, and even more amazing is the comment of the head of the Kabardino-Balkarian geological exploration expedition, Vera Davidenko, but she is a realist and believes that nature can do everything and concluded: “Tuff is an accumulation of products of volcanic ejection - ash, fragments of lava , volcanic glass and, to a small extent, rock fragments that make up the crater walls. The ejecta material was hot during accumulation and therefore, when it solidified, cracks formed separately - that is, the entire tuff massif appeared to be broken into blocks. The depression discovered in the area of the village of Zayukovo is one of these gravitational separation cracks, which is characterized by smooth contact surfaces,” but this is the head of the geological exploration expedition, she probably knows better.
Scheme of the structure.
A little fantasy for the finale) Arakul Shikhan, a strange structure in the middle of the forest. I have everything, kick me :)
In the stone circle of an ancient cemetery, in a place of worship of old, forgotten and eternal gods, pulsating with ancient magic and power, the Wall Crawler raised his hands and a bloody knife. And he screamed. Jubilantly. Wild. Inhuman.
Everything around froze in horror.
Andrzej Sapkowski "God's Warriors"
Among the windy heaths, above the heather, under the low, restless sky - hieroglyphs on gray stone. Worn out by time, lost, alien to our world, thrown into it from another, unknown reality, separated by the abyss of centuries. Carrying the stamp of eternity, the wreckage of forgotten eras has survived more than one generation of legends, in which there is no longer a drop of truth. But still filled with strange strength and invincible greatness. Awe-inspiring even now. Megaliths.
Megaliths (“big stones”) are usually called prehistoric structures made of huge stone blocks connected without the use of mortar. But this definition is very imprecise. A significant part of archaeological sites classified as megaliths are not, in the strict sense, structures at all, since they consist of a single monolith or several slabs not connected to each other.
In addition, the stones of megalithic buildings are not always large. Finally, some buildings that were built already in historical times are often classified as megaliths, but either using cyclopean blocks (the Temple of Jupiter in Baalbek) or without the use of mortar (Machu Picchu in Peru, 16th century).
What then unites the megaliths? Perhaps monumentality and an aura of mystery. Megalith is the creation of a departed, often nameless people. This is a message from the unimaginably distant “pre-legendary” past. Monument to an unknown builder.
ETERNAL STONES
Alien, surreal, and contrary to all known principles of architecture, the appearance of megaliths feeds the vast “modern mythology” full of Atlanteans, Hyperboreans and other representatives of highly developed civilizations that have sunk into oblivion. But there are at least two reasons not to take such speculation seriously. Firstly, they still do not provide a clear explanation for the appearance of megaliths. Secondly, the real secrets of history are more interesting than the imaginary ones.
The simplest megaliths, those that cannot yet be considered structures, include the sacred stones of seida and menhirs - oblong, roughly processed blocks vertically stuck into the ground, broken off from the rock. A little later they are replaced by orthostats, distinguished by their flat shape and the presence of at least one carefully smoothed edge on which magical signs were drawn or carved.
Single menhirs and seids, as a rule, served as objects of worship. Sacrifices were made near the largest Rudston monolith in England, 7.6 meters high, decorated with fossilized dinosaur tracks. On the plains, glacial blocks always attracted attention and, quite possibly, could be considered the house of the spirit or the weapon of the ancestor. Smaller menhirs usually served as tombstones for leaders. In any case, it was for this purpose that the last of them under the camera was installed at the beginning of the last century in Indonesia. The largest cluster of 3,000 orthostats is the Carnac Stones in Brittany, a prehistoric cemetery.
In some cases, menigirs were placed in a group, forming a circle of cromlechs marking the boundaries of the cult place. Often, in the center of the decorative fence, a platform lined with stone was found, on which the bodies of the dead were burned or animals and captives were sacrificed. Ceremonies, meetings, celebrations and other public events could also be held here. Cults changed. Cromlechs are more durable than religions.
The use of megalithic structures as observatories is also possible. To accurately determine the position of the Moon and the Sun (from the shadow), unshakable landmarks were required. Menhirs placed in a circle fulfilled this role. It should be noted that in the Middle Ages, observatories had a similar structure.
Already in ancient times, people sought diversity and were not afraid of experiments. An epochal step forward, a real breakthrough in stone architecture, were thauls - structures made of a large stone mounted on a small one. Then trilithons appeared - arches of three stones - the beauty and pride of Stonehenge. The stability and durability of these structures led primitive builders to the idea of building dolmens - the first stone buildings in human history.
There are a lot of mysteries associated with dolmens, as well as with other simple megaliths. For example, they can never be associated with any specific archaeological culture - that is, with an ancient people whose migrations are tracked by scientists using characteristic ceramics, arrowheads and other finds. The stone does not reveal the age of the building and does not say anything about the creators. Determining the date of the appearance of a dolmen, as a rule, is possible only with an accuracy of several centuries. And during such a period of time, the population of the country changed more than once. The artifacts discovered in and around the structure do not say anything, since it is known that megaliths, passing from hand to hand, remained “in use” for thousands of years.
What can also be quite puzzling is the fact that similar, almost identical megaliths are scattered over a huge area - from the Caucasus to Portugal and from the Orkney Islands to Senegal. In this regard, even a version was put forward about a certain “dolmen culture”, whose representatives once inhabited all these territories. But the hypothesis was not confirmed. No traces of such people were found. Moreover, it was discovered that the age of two identical dolmens located next to each other can differ by a couple of thousand years.
In fact, the similarity of dolmens from different countries is explained by the fact that the idea lying on the surface naturally occurred to many people. Any child could make a “house” by placing four flat stones on an edge and placing a fifth one on top of them. Or cover the hole in the stone with a flat block (trough-shaped dolmen). Admiring his creation, the young architect grew up, became a leader and encouraged his fellow tribesmen to build a life-size structure.
One thing can be said with certainty: the appearance of the first megaliths is associated with the transition of the population to a sedentary lifestyle. Wandering hunters had no desire to move the boulders they encountered during migrations. And the groups of people were too small to carry out large-scale work. The first farmers had the opportunity to engage in capital construction. The only thing missing was experience. And for a long time they couldn’t think of anything better than digging two stones into the ground and placing a third on them.
Apparently, the dolmens were crypts. In some of them the remains of hundreds of people were found. The decayed bones formed layer after layer, and new graves were dug right in the resulting mass. Other dolmens are completely empty. Probably, over the past millennia, someone took the trouble to clean them out.
| Path in the labyrinth | |
| A special category of megaliths are flat cairns - lines or drawings laid out from small stones. This includes numerous “stone boats” - Viking burials made in the shape of a ship outlined by boulders, and a unique “stone eagle” - an image of a bird with outstretched wings, created by an unknown tribe of North American Indians. But the most famous flat cairns are the “labyrinths” found in Scandinavia, Finland, England, northern Russia and even on Novaya Zemlya. Rows of stones form an intricate, spiraling path. These are the least noticeable and, at the same time, extremely impressive megaliths. For the labyrinth is a powerful symbol that weaves together reality. The path to the land of spirits is winding. Who left these stone seals, unsolved signs on the northern, meager land? Like most megaliths, labyrinths are anonymous. Sometimes they are associated with the proto-Sami tribes, but the Sami themselves know nothing about spirals. In addition, labyrinths are widespread far beyond the boundaries of the settlement of the ancestors of this people. The Nenets have a separate opinion on this issue, who consider the flat cairns to be the work of the Sirtya - a short, stocky people of blacksmiths who have long gone underground. |
But sooner or later, building simple stone boxes ceased to be satisfying. The dolmen is impressive enough to glorify an individual clan, but not enough to become the pride and cult center of an entire tribal union. People already wanted more. At least just in size.
Individual dolmens began to line up in a long corridor, often with side branches. Sometimes two corridors connected by passages were built. Natural slabs were difficult to match in shape, and for the construction of “walls” masonry began to be used, as in composite dolmens, or solid polished blocks, as in tiled ones.
But even in this case, the structure did not seem majestic enough. Therefore, a colossal cairn was poured on top of the “multi-series” dolmens - an artificial structure in the form of a pile of stones. In order to prevent the pyramid from settling, it was “propped up” with a ring of orthostats along its perimeter. If there was more than one belt, the result was something similar to a ziggurat. The scale of Neolithic gigantomania can be judged by the fact that such structures, which had long ago taken the form of sloping hills, were in modern times operated as quarries for decades before workers discovered the internal chambers.
The most impressive of the Neolithic monuments are now called “corridor tombs” or “megalithic temples.” But the same structure could combine functions or change them over time. In any case, the mounds were poorly suited for rituals. It was too cramped inside. Therefore, cairns continued to coexist with cromlechs until people learned to build real temples, under the arches of which not only priests, but also believers could fit.
The era of megaliths, which began in prehistoric times, has no clear boundaries. It did not end, but only gradually faded away as construction technologies improved. Even in relatively later eras, when the methods of constructing an arch became known, and buildings were built from cut stone and brick, the demand for giant blocks did not disappear. They continued to be used, but rather as a decorative element. And even knowing how to fasten stones with mortar, architects did not always find it necessary to do this. After all, polished stones, fitted to each other, equipped with protrusions and grooves, looked better. Finally, even an unprocessed block sometimes turned out to be in place. The boulder that serves as the base for the equestrian statue of Peter I in St. Petersburg is a typical megalith.
| Titan Towers | |
| Scottish Borchs and Mediterranean Nuraghes are relatively late megaliths, dating back to the Bronze Age. They are towers made of small unprocessed stones without the use of mortar. And the fact that many of these structures, held together only by the weight of the material, still stand today evokes great respect for the builders. The creation of the Borkhs is attributed to the Picts, and the Nuraghes to the Chardins. But both versions are not indisputable. In addition, all that remains of these peoples themselves are the names given to them by foreign chroniclers. The origins and customs of the Picts and Chardins are unknown. And this makes it even more difficult to unravel the purpose of numerous (more than 30,000 nuraghes were built in Sardinia alone) but non-functional structures. Brochs resemble fortifications, but were hardly used for defense because they did not have loopholes and could not accommodate a sufficient number of defenders. They did not light a fire, did not live in them, did not bury the dead and did not store supplies. The objects found in the towers belong almost exclusively to the Celts, who settled Scotland centuries later and tried to come up with some use for the towers. However, they were no more successful than archaeologists. |
SECRETS OF THE BIG STONE
The question remains “how”. How did people deliver huge stones without heavy equipment, how did they lift them, how did they cut them? It is these mysteries that inspire the authors of alternative hypotheses. Which, however, is based on a banal lack of imagination. It is difficult for an unprepared person to imagine how barbarians use stone tools to hew a giant block and manually set it in place. Anyone can imagine how the Atlanteans who have disappeared to who knows where are doing all this for unknown reasons and in an unknown way is within the power of anyone.
But the alternative reasoning contains a fundamental flaw. With cranes and diamond saws, we do not use huge stone monoliths. This is irrational. More convenient materials are now available. Megaliths were built by people who were simply not yet capable of building otherwise.
The stone is really difficult to work with other stone or copper. Therefore, only in the Iron Age did they begin to build from relatively compact hewn “bricks”. After all, the smaller the block, the larger its relative surface. So the Egyptians did not at all seek to complicate their work by using one-and-a-half and two-ton blocks to build the pyramids, which, of course, were not easy to transport and lift. On the contrary, they made it as easy as possible. After all, with the reduction of blocks, the costs of their production would increase sharply, but transportation costs would decrease slightly.
The same weight would have to be transferred. The creators of megaliths thought the same way.
Assessing the complexity of a task “by eye” often leads to mistakes. It seems that the work of the builders of Stonehenge was enormous, but, obviously, the costs of constructing the smallest of the Egyptian and Mesoamerican pyramids were incomparably higher. In turn, all the pyramids of Egypt taken together took four times less labor than the canal alone - a 700-kilometer “understudy” of the Nile bed. This was truly a large-scale project! The Egyptians built pyramids in their free time. For the soul.
Was it difficult to trim and sand a 20-ton slab? Yes. But every peasant or hunter in the Stone Age, during his life, in between cases, in the evenings making the necessary tools, brought about 40 square meters of stone to an almost mirror shine, choosing, if possible, the hardest rocks: only diamond cannot be processed by chipping and grinding on wet sand .
It seems difficult to deliver huge stones not only without equipment, but also without horses, even without a wheel. Meanwhile, under Peter I, frigates were transported along the route of the future White Sea Canal in this way. Peasants and soldiers pulled the ships along wooden rails, placing wooden rollers on them. Moreover, the cargo had to be dragged onto multi-meter cliffs more than once. In such cases, it was necessary to build a mantel, and sometimes use counterweights in the form of cages with stones. But when giving the order, the king probably did not think long, since we were talking about a completely ordinary operation. The Spaniards also thought it was faster and safer to drag galleons from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean through the Isthmus of Panama than to drive them around Cape Horn.
Valuable information was provided by a study of Maltese megalithic temples, one of which was suddenly abandoned during construction. Everything that workers usually took with them - stone rollers and sleds - remained in place. Even drawings have been preserved that looked like a miniature model of the structure (this is how they built it - from a model, not from paper - until the 18th century). In addition, in Malta, and later in other megalith-rich regions, “stone rails” were discovered - parallel grooves left by repeated rolling of round stones under heavy sleds.
| Hobby holes |
| The megalithic structures of Skara Brae are unique primarily in that they are residential. Typically, Neolithic people built houses from eternal stone only for the dead. But Scotland at that time was the northern outpost of agriculture. So the surprisingly short people, smaller than the pygmies, who decided to settle on this harsh land, had to dig in conscientiously. The lack of wood also had its effect. The “hobbits” could only rely on logs carried by the sea waves. Another interesting feature of these megaliths is that there is little in their masonry that would deserve the epithet “mega”. The stones are mostly small. The houses were clearly built by one family, who were unable to deliver a monolithic dolmen slab to the site and install it on the structure. The “hobbit” roofs were made of wood and turf. But in each room there were several miniature megaliths - stone stools and whatnots. |
But still, wasn’t the work too much? Was it really necessary for unknown barbarians to complicate their already difficult life by delivering and lifting 50-ton blocks of Stonehenge? And not for the sake of profit, but for beauty, for fame. Realizing that the arches of the cult center can be made of wood.
The inhabitants of Neolithic England thought not too much. The Romans believed exactly the same thing, using record, unimaginable 800-ton blocks in Baalbek, although they could have easily gotten by with ordinary ones. The Incas agreed with them, cutting intricate puzzles out of stone to assemble the walls of Machu Picchu. Megalithic buildings amaze the imagination even now. They struck him then too. They hit much harder. With their work, the builders glorified the deity, and a little - themselves. And considering that they achieved their goals - although their names are forgotten, their glory, having survived the birth and end of many civilizations, thunders through the millennia - can we say that the work was too great?
On the contrary, it was a very economical solution.
| What to play? |
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