We have talked about megalithic structures many times in the past. They are found all over the world. Most of the time it seems that the people that constructed them have disappeared without a trace and we just can't figure out where they went or even, who they were. Some of the things they did were amazing for the time, such as lifting stones that weighed many tons and putting them on top of other stones. If just manpower was used, than there must have been quite a few people involved. More and more people suspect that the ancients had a secret and that secret was how to move very heavy objects. Why would we ever think anything like this was true? If one looks around the world they will find heavy stone structures even on mountain tops. It just seems inconceivable that stones weighing many tons could have been brought up there. You have to remember that there weren't even any wheels in some of these time periods.

Left: Outside Of Rock Containing Carved Chamber
Right: Carved Chamber

When we talk about megaliths we usually think of places like Stonehenge in England, but one of the areas with the most megaliths is Orkney, a northern Scottish island. Why this island has so many of these structures is a mystery. It seems that this must have been a very cold place thousands of years ago and this make me wonder even more why people would have stayed there, but I guess this would apply to many of the northern countries that sustained ancient populations. If we go to a town named Stomness we will be pretty near the tomb that was cut from solid rock that is called Dwarfie Stane. These primitive people were able to cut a chamber right out of solid sandstone. Another block of stone was used to seal the entrance. The chamber was a tomb and the person that was buried in it must have been very important. If you believe in legends, it is said that a dwarf, Trollid , lived in the tomb. Ouch, it must have been even a tight fit for him, if that was true. You just have to wonder how these people cut such a perfect chamber into the rock without modern tools. Even the corners are rounded.

Why were the ancients so fascinated with stone circles? Some believe that they were the forerunners of temples, while others think that they were some sort of giant calendar. Some stone circles are not even the original structures on their sites. If we carefully examine Stonehenge we find that there are indications that wooden poles were placed in the ground even before the stones were erected. This leads us to believe that some sort of round wooden structure stood there first. There are large standing stones called the Stones of Stenness. Many of the stones are missing now but the three that are still standing are quite impressive. One looks almost like a stone needle. It is said that these stones were erected over 5,000 years ago. Did these stones have some hidden use that has been lost in the mists of time? It wouldn't be the first time that modern man has lost knowledge from the past. A more complete stone circle can be found nearby and is called the Ring of Bfodgart or Brodgar. Brogar is one of the biggest in Britain.

Brodgar

One can't help but find it very interesting that a part of the world that is not exactly densely populated has so many of these ancient monuments. Perhaps the land itself was considered sacred for some reason and this attracted the people to these locations? Could it have been that the harsh living conditions were felt to purify the spirit in some way? I guess we will never have the answer to those types of questions unless we happen to find some ancient writing explaining things and this doesn't look too promising.

Skara Brae House

There is no doubt that people didn't just travel to the area, because villages were found where they actually lived. One of the sites that they lived at was Skara Brae. Skara Brae has a way of bringing you closer to the people that lived in this settlement. When you observe their actual living quarters you can't help but feel that they just left. When you walk through someone's home there is a sort of bond that you acquire with that person or persons, even if the home is thousands of years old. It sort of gives you an insight into their lives. Skara Brae is one of those places. It is said that of all the ancient stone houses from this period in western europe, these are the best preserved. The homes in this area were about 15 feet square and usually had one door. People slept in beds of sorts and the roofs, which are gone now, were made of thatch or animal skins supported by whale bones. The houses themselves were covered with midden. This was a mixture of garbage from the home and dirt. This insulated the structure. I was fine up to this point.

It is hard to imagine that what we are looking at here dates back about 5,000 years. This is before the Romans, before the Greeks, China may have just begun to become a civilization, but some claim that it only goes back about 4,200 years. Egypt is believed to have begun its civilization about 5,000 years ago. Scientists are finding out that the people that lived in this prehistoric period may have been more advanced than first suspected. A cement type material was discovered in a mound that was at least 5,000 years old in Central America. One thing is for sure, these people certainly were smart. They were able to do an awful lot with what they had.