The Merry Maidens, Neolithic stone circle near St Buryan, England
The Merry Maidens is a stone circle composed of nineteen granite stones arranged in a perfect circular formation near St Buryan in Cornwall. The monument stands in an open field and creates a clear geometric shape that visitors can walk around and observe from different angles.
The stone circle was built during the late Neolithic period, roughly 4,000 years ago, serving ceremonial or ritual functions for the people who built it. Evidence suggests careful planning went into its construction, indicating its importance as a gathering place or sacred location.
The site carries the name Dans Maen, meaning Stone Dance in the Cornish language, reflecting how local people saw the granite arrangement as a place of ritual movement. This naming tradition shows how the community understood its role as something more than just stones in a field.
The stone circle stands beside the B3315 road between Newlyn and Land's End, making it accessible from the roadside. The site sits on flat, open ground that allows easy walking around the stones and viewing them from all sides.
Two additional standing stones called The Pipers stand to the northeast of the circle and form a separate structure whose connection to the main monument remains unclear. These companion stones add mystery to the site and suggest complex ritual arrangements beyond what the circle alone reveals.
Location: St Buryan
GPS coordinates: 50.06513,-5.58878
Latest update: December 6, 2025 16:03
Stone circles stand among humanity's earliest architectural accomplishments, constructed by prehistoric communities across Europe and beyond over thousands of years. These circular arrangements of standing stones served multiple purposes, functioning as astronomical observatories where ancient peoples tracked celestial movements, seasonal changes, and solar events. The monuments also acted as communal gathering spaces for ceremonies, trade, and social activities. The engineering skills required to transport, raise, and position these massive stones—some weighing several tons—reveal the sophisticated organizational capabilities and technical knowledge of Neolithic and Bronze Age societies. This collection spans numerous locations throughout Europe. In England, Stonehenge features precisely arranged upright stones forming a 98-foot (30-meter) circle built between 3000 and 2000 BC, while the Avebury complex measures 1,086 feet (331 meters) across and dates to 2850 BC. Scotland hosts several significant sites, including the Callanish Stones with a central monolith standing 16 feet (4.8 meters) tall, and the Ring of Brodgar, which originally contained 60 stones encircled by a 30-foot (9-meter) wide ditch. The Castlerigg Stone Circle sits surrounded by Lake District peaks, constructed around 3000 BC. Beyond the British Isles, Germany's Goseck Circle demonstrates astronomical alignment dating to 4900 BC, making it one of the oldest known structures of its kind. Ireland's Drombeg Stone Circle uses 17 stones to mark solstice positions. Each site provides insight into how prehistoric communities observed the heavens, marked time, and organized their societies around these enduring monuments.
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