stone circlen.

A series of large stones arranged in a circle or ring in the landscape; esp. a prehistoric monument of a type common in north-west Europe, typically formed of upright stone slabs or pillars set into the ground. Cf. circle n. 12.Stone circles are found around the world, dating from various periods from the early Neolithic onwards; the majority of those in north-west Europe belong to the later Neolithic and Bronze Age. Particularly common in Britain, Ireland, and France, these prehistoric circles are generally thought to have had some ritual or ceremonial function, and many appear to be aligned with particular solar, lunar, or other astronomical events. Stone circles are sometimes located within an enclosure formed by a surrounding bank with an internal ditch (see henge n. 2) or other earthwork.