Tomnaverie is one of several stone circles in the north-east of Scotland distinguished by a recumbent, or flat-lying stone, flanked by two upright stones. It lies amidst grass and heather on a small hill’s crest1https://canmore.org.uk/site/17006.
To the south-west, Lochnagar commands attention, suggesting it was a focal point for the circle. The arrangement may have been used to track the Moon’s passage through the year.
The builders of the circle evidently intertwined the landscape with their spiritual beliefs. From this vantage, other stone circles might have been visible, each likely surrounded by its own community. Nearby, several boulders and bedrock bear what appear to be cup marks —Neolithic rock art.
In the 1990s, an excavation revealed a mound of charcoal-burnt soil and bone at the circle’s center, indicating an initial use of the site for cremation pyres. This was later surrounded by a ring of kerb stones, followed by the stone circle seen today.
Many questions about the usage of stone circles like Tomnaverie remain. Were they linked to specific families or communities? Was access restricted, to a shaman, or open to all? Whose remains were cremated here? These mysteries continue to intrigue.
- 1https://canmore.org.uk/site/17006
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