Birkrigg stone circle
Encyclopedia
The Birkrigg stone circle, also known as the Druid's Temple is a Bronze Age
stone circle
two miles south of Ulverston
in the English
county of Cumbria
. It dates to between 1700 and 1400 BC.
The circle consists of two rings of stones, the outer measuring 26m and consisting of 15 stones and the inner being 9m wide and consisting of 10 stones. None of the stones is more than 0.6m tall.
Five cremations were found within the central ring, one in an inverted collared urn. One of the stones of carboniferous limestone had been sculpted into a shape resembling a sperm whale
's head.
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
stone circle
Stone circle
A stone circle is a monument of standing stones arranged in a circle. Such monuments have been constructed across the world throughout history for many different reasons....
two miles south of Ulverston
Ulverston
Ulverston is a market town and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria in north-west England. Historically part of Lancashire, the town is located in the Furness area, close to the Lake District, and just north of Morecambe Bay....
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
. It dates to between 1700 and 1400 BC.
The circle consists of two rings of stones, the outer measuring 26m and consisting of 15 stones and the inner being 9m wide and consisting of 10 stones. None of the stones is more than 0.6m tall.
Five cremations were found within the central ring, one in an inverted collared urn. One of the stones of carboniferous limestone had been sculpted into a shape resembling a sperm whale
Sperm Whale
The sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus, is a marine mammal species, order Cetacea, a toothed whale having the largest brain of any animal. The name comes from the milky-white waxy substance, spermaceti, found in the animal's head. The sperm whale is the only living member of genus Physeter...
's head.