carn brea holed_stone.
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carn brea. these large holed stones have been associated with ceremonial sites across europe where many have been used to form threshold entrances to chambered tombs and entrance graves. the closest one to this fine specimen is known as the men_an_tol and located in the west of penwith. it is now thought to be part of a stone circle. it is also closely connected to a stone mound that might have been the remains of a burial cairn. these holes are naturally formed by a combination of acidic rain water and wind agitation. this one is part of a significant granite outcrop at carn brea, the site of a neolithic tor enclosure and a later iron age roundhouse settlement. the many hundreds of flint arrow head found at the site has led to speculation that it was a site of a major battle. however the more straightforward explanation might be that these sites were involved as centres of trade, combining seasonal gathering and feasting, with the distribution and exchange of flint arrowheads, axes and pottery. |
