The geometry of north-east Scottish Recumbent Stone Circles measured by experiment

The Recumbent Stones Circles  of north-east Scotland are a distinctive class of stone circle, dating to c. 2500–2000 BC.



Unlike other stone circles, they are characterised by the presence of a huge recumbent stone enclosed by two tall stones known as flankers. Typically, the rest of the circle stones are then graded, shortening in height away from the flankers, and in many instances there are internal cairns (RCAHMS 2007: 59).

A recent re-examination of their remains proposes that an extent population of 71 circles still exists (Welfare 2011).

Experimental archaeology provides an insight into how these circles could have been planned. Indeed, testing a hypothesis to show how stone circles were laid out by eye.

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