The Goatstones facts for kids
The Goatstones with Ravensheugh Crags in the background.
|
|
 Location in Northumberland
|
|
| Location | Ravensheugh Crags, Wark |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 55°4′2.54″N 2°16′9.47″W / 55.0673722°N 2.2692972°W |
The Goatstones is an ancient stone circle from the Bronze Age. This was a time long ago when people used bronze tools. The Goatstones is special because it's a "four-poster" stone circle, meaning it has four main stones. You can find it near Ravensheugh Crags in Northumberland, England. It's about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) north of Hadrian's Wall in the area of Wark-on-Tyne. People think its name comes from old Saxon words, "gyet stanes," which means "wayside stones." This ancient monument probably had a religious purpose for the people who built it.
Contents
What are the Goatstones?
The stones at this site are not very tall. They are no higher than 80 centimetres (31 in), which is less than a meter. The stones are placed about 4 metres (13 ft) apart from each other.
The Stones Up Close
One of the smaller stones at The Goatstones is quite unique. It has 13 special marks on it called "cup marks." These are small, round dips carved into the rock. Cup marks are a common type of ancient rock art found in Northumberland. The Goatstones is the only known four-poster stone circle that has these cup marks. You can also see some grooves, which are long, thin lines, on other stones.
Inside the circle, there are signs of a low mound on the ground. Experts believe this mound is what's left of a stone cairn. A cairn is a pile of stones. This cairn might have been built even before the stone circle was put up. It could have been a place where people were buried during the Bronze Age.
What is a Four-Poster Stone Circle?
Four-poster stone circles are a specific type of ancient monument. They usually have four main stones that form a square or rectangle. These kinds of stone circles are mostly found in Scotland, especially in a place called Perthshire. They are less common in Ireland, Wales, and England. Another example of a four-poster stone circle in Northumberland is called the Three Kings. It is located near Rochester.
Exploring the Past
So far, no professional archaeological digs have happened at The Goatstones. This means that experts haven't carefully uncovered and studied the site yet. However, this ancient monument is protected by law under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. This law helps make sure that important historical sites like The Goatstones are kept safe for future generations.
