A menhir is a large upright stone placed in the ground by people, usually from the European Middle Bronze Age. These stones are sometimes called standing stones, orthostats, or liths. They can be found alone as single stones or in groups of similar stones. Menhirs vary in size, but many become narrower at the top.

Menhirs are found in Europe, Africa, and Asia, with many located in Western Europe, especially in Ireland, Great Britain, and Brittany. Scientists do not know for certain what purpose menhirs served, but some ideas suggest they were used for rituals, to mark land boundaries, or as parts of belief systems. Some menhirs have carvings, such as figures that look like people or symbols, and are often linked to ancient religious practices and burial sites.

Etymology

The word "menhir" was introduced from French by 19th-century archaeologists. Its use in general archaeological study is often linked to an 18th-century French military officer named Théophile Corret de la Tour d'Auvergne. The term comes from two Breton words: "maen," meaning "stone," and "hir," meaning "long." In modern Welsh, these stones are called "maen hir," which translates to "long stone." In modern Breton, the word "peulvan" is used. Here, "peul" means "stake" or "post," and "van" is a softened form of "maen," meaning "stone." In Germany and Scandinavia, the term "Bauta" is used (in German as "Bautastein" and in Norwegian as "bautastein"). This term sometimes appears in English as "bauta stone."

History

Very little is known about the social structures or religious beliefs of the people who built the menhirs. Their language is also unknown. However, it is clear that they buried their dead and had the ability to grow crops, farm, and create pottery, stone tools, and jewelry. The purpose or use of menhirs is still uncertain. Until recently, standing stones were linked to the Beaker people, who lived in Europe during the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age—roughly 2800 to 1800 BC. Recent studies in Brittany, however, suggest that menhirs may be much older, possibly dating back six to seven thousand years.

During the European Middle Ages, people believed standing stones were built by giants who lived before the biblical flood. Many megaliths were destroyed or damaged by early Christians. It is estimated that about 50,000 megaliths once stood in Northern Europe, but only around 10,000 remain today. Menhirs have also been found in many other regions of the world.

Many menhirs have carvings, some of which show human-like figures. Other common designs resemble stone axes, plows, shepherds’ crooks, and yokes, and are named after these shapes. However, these identifications are not certain except for the stone axe images. The names used for these carvings are mostly for convenience. Some menhirs were broken and reused in later passage graves, where new carvings were added without regard for the original images. It is unknown whether this reuse was intentional or if the builders of passage graves simply saw menhirs as a useful source of stone.

When menhirs appear in groups, such as in circular, oval, henge, or horseshoe shapes, they are sometimes called megalithic monuments. These sites were often used for ancient religious ceremonies and sometimes included burial chambers. The exact function of menhirs has caused more debate than almost any other topic in European prehistory. Over time, people have suggested many different uses, such as tools for druids to perform sacrifices, markers for territories, parts of complex systems, memory aids for oral traditions, or early calendars. Before the 19th century, people who studied ancient history had limited knowledge of prehistoric times and relied mostly on classical texts for information. Scientific methods like radiocarbon dating and tree-ring analysis have greatly improved understanding of this area.

Geographical distribution

Menhirs are found in many places across Europe, Africa, and Asia, but are most common in Western Europe. They are especially numerous in Ireland, Great Britain, and Brittany, where there are about 50,000 examples. In northwestern France, there are about 1,200 more examples. Standing stones are often hard to date because they were built during many different times in prehistory as part of larger megalithic cultures in Europe and nearby areas. Some menhirs are located near buildings that have religious importance in the past or today. For example, the South Zeal Menhir in Devon was used as the foundation for a 12th-century monastery built by lay monks. The monastery later became the Oxenham Arms hotel, and the standing stone is still in place in the snug bar at the hotel.

It is believed that people who practiced megalithic religions traveled by sea, as most menhirs are located on coasts, islands, and peninsulas.

In popular culture

The French comic book series Asterix introduces the character named Obelix, who is known for carrying menhirs and works as a sculptor and deliveryman.