Definition of stone circle in English:

• A megalithic monument of a type found mainly in western Europe, consisting of stones, typically standing stones, arranged more or less in a circle.

  Example sentencesExamples

  • The stone circle in question is the Castlerigg stone circle in the lake district.
  • In the early 3rd millennium bc a stone circle comprising thirteen pillars of local gneiss was built with a single large pillar in the centre.
  • The spectacular stone circle at Avebury is part of the Stone Age complex of sites in south west England that includes its famous older brother, Stonehenge.
  • A square setting of posts around the prehistoric stone circle may represent some form of religious structure, and a number of isolated postholes have been interpreted as settings for totem-poles.
  • The university is hoping to build a new 8,000-student campus next to a stone circle dating back 4,500 years on the edge of the Commonhead site next to the Great Western Hospital.
  • All-night festivities at the ancient stone circle passed relatively peacefully, with Wiltshire Police making a handful of arrests, mainly for drink-related offences.
  • Surviving monuments in the Kilmartin Valley include a ‘linear cemetery’ of Bronze Age cairns, several standing stones, a stone circle and numerous elaborate rock art panels.
  • Arthur who believes himself to be the reincarnation of the legendary leader of the ancient Britons was at the Neolithic stone circle at the weekend to celebrate the spring equinox and promote his new book.
  • Avebury stone circle would provide the perfect backdrop for a Neolithic theme ceremony.
  • The vandals, who struck overnight last Wednesday, covered each of the 78 stones in the Neolithic stone circle known as The King's Men, with thousands of bright yellow gloss paint splatters.
  • The surrounding landscape was already ancient, studded with prehistoric burial mounds and the stone circle temple of Avebury, which still receives thousands of visitors each year and has a range of goods on sale at its gift shop.
  • The exhibition is being held in the former railway museum in Faringdon Road and the stone circle is visible from the road.
  • To the south are a stone circle, a cairn, two standing stones, and a large burial cist.
  • Although less impressive than Stone Henge, the stone circle at Avebury is far larger.
  • The well-preserved stone circle was exposed, built of more than 100 boulders.
  • Nearby are Kinsale, Clonakilty and attractions such as a prehistoric stone circle, huge beaches and plenty of craft shops.
  • Some people may simply not want to know that that field boundary runs under that ruined mine building, or that the round barrows are intervisible with the stone circle.
  • A beautiful stone circle looking out onto the Irish Sea on the west and the Cumbrian mountains to the east.
  • The great stone circle is one of Britain's most spectacular classes of archaeological monument.
  • Wiltshire is home to many historic attractions, including Stone-henge and the ancient stone circle at Avebury, as well as nature reserves, downland and woodland.

  Synonyms

  memorial

The earliest stone circles date from the Neolithic period. In the early Bronze Age many hundreds of small circles were constructed in western Britain, often from quite small stones. Circles often appear to be aligned astronomically, especially with particular sunrise or sunset positions, and it is generally agreed that they had a ritual function