Standing Stones

Standing Stones, a general name for unhewn monoliths. When occurring singly they are called Menhirs; and if disposed in a ring, Stone Circles (q.v.). The Standing Stones of the British Isles and of the Continent are prehistoric, and commemorate some event, as a battle, or mark a burial-place, the latter having in many cases been discovered by excavation. The Standing Stones of Scotland probably mark interments of the Bronze Age; those of Norway belong to the Iron Age. In the North~East of India Standing Stones are still used as sepulchral monuments and as offerings to ancestral spirits.