New evidence reveals what inspired ancient stone circles on Isle of Lewis

The Scotsman, tall and handsome built ^ | Monday, December 23, 2019 | Scotsman Reporter

[SunkenCiv]

A massive lightning strike which hit the Isle of Lewis more than 3,000 years ago may have inspired ancient civilisations to build stone circles, academics believe.

Scientists studying a prehistoric stone circle on the Outer Hebrides island discovered evidence of a lightning strike on a nearby site where a circle had been hidden beneath a peat bog.

Just one stone remained standing at the site, known as Site XI or Airigh na Beinne Bige, which overlooks the main stone circle, Tursachan Chalanais, at Calanais on the Isle of Lewis.

But it is believed that the single stone was once part of a circle of standing stones, and that a massive star-shaped 'magnetic anomaly' in the centre signified where it had been struck by lightning...

Professor Vincent Gaffney of the School Archaeological Sciences at the University of Bradford, said: "The dramatic results of survey on Lewis demonstrate that we have to understand the landscapes that surrounds these ritual monuments and the role that nature and natural events, including lightning, played in creating the rituals and beliefs of people many thousands of years ago."

[SunkenCiv]

My pleasure.

[Abathar]

"Come on! Anyone who has watched Outlander knows these are for transporting yourself back and forth in time."

Or Highlander, and Methos just got pissy and took some guys head.

[mewzilla]

Got hubby an Isle of Lewis chess set for his birthday. Seeing those pieces, I can believe the kegger explanation.

[Red Badger]

Thirg got Zotted, so they erected a stone circle so as to avoid the deadly spot.

Then another.

Then another.

Then another............

[SunkenCiv]

Gonna rock, gonna rock, all around the alleged archaeoastronomical clock tonight...

[Beowulf9]

So they saw lightning hit, then placed a stone circle. That is where the thought is.

But what did they think the spot was ‘hit’ for? I wonder what they believed about the reasoning behind the ‘supernatural’ choice?

I sure wish these guys left written artifacts.

[Beowulf9]

I get they thought it was a supernatural force, but what did they believe it was chosen for I wonder? Or was it just they believed that that force was telling them where to erect the circle, and even so, then, what for? I suddenly had a thought, seriously, like a lightning bolt hit me, was this their ‘church’?