Lankill Standing Stone facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lankill Standing Stone |
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| Native name Irish: Gallán Lainn Chille |
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| Type | Standing stone |
| Location | Lankill, Aughagower, County Mayo, Ireland |
| Elevation | 47 m (154 ft) |
| Height | 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) |
| Built | 2000 BC or later |
| Official name: Lankill Standing Stone | |
| Reference no. | 296 |
The Lankill Standing Stone is an ancient stone monument. It is a tall, upright stone that has stood for thousands of years. This special stone is found in County Mayo, Ireland. It is protected as a National Monument because of its important history.
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What is the Lankill Standing Stone?
A standing stone is a large stone that people placed upright a very long time ago. These stones are also called menhirs. The Lankill Standing Stone is a great example of these ancient structures. It is believed to be from the Bronze Age, which means it could be around 4,000 years old!
Where Can You Find This Stone?
The Lankill Standing Stone stands in a field in a place called Lankill. This is about 2.7 kilometers (1.7 miles) west of a village named Aughagower. It's also south of a lake called Knappaghbeg Lough. Close by, you can find Toberbrendan, which is an old church site.
What's Special About Its History?
This stone is very old, possibly from the Bronze Age. What makes it extra special is that it was later "Christianised." This means that people who followed Christianity carved crosses onto it. This shows how old traditions and new beliefs came together over time.
People aren't completely sure why standing stones were put up. They might have been:
- Markers for land boundaries.
- Places for important ceremonies or rituals.
- Burial sites for ancient people.
- Even aligned with the stars or sun for astrological reasons.
What Does the Stone Look Like?
The Lankill Standing Stone is made of a type of rock called shale. It stands about 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) tall, which is taller than most adults!
The stone has interesting carvings on it:
- On its west side, you can see a cross. Below the cross, there's a V-shaped design.
- On its east side, there's another cross, called a Latin cross. This cross is inside two circles. There are also four more circles, one inside the other.
These carvings suggest that the stone was first a "pagan" monument. Later, Christians added their symbols to it. This is a cool way to see how different cultures used the same important places over time.
