Labyrinths of the North

the accepted designation among scholars for ancient structures constructed on the ground from small rocks (up to 40 cm in size) in a pattern of twisting lines that as a whole form an oval or round figure with a diameter of up to 10 m and a maze of paths within it. Known in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and the USSR (Kola Peninsula, Karelia, Solovetskie Islands, and Estonia), they are found on islands, on peninsulas, and near sea bays. They first appeared in the first millennium B.C. and were apparently intended for magic rituals to bring about good fish catches.