Description
Beaghmore, Cookstown, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Beaghmore is a complex of early Bronze Age megalithic stone circles and cairns that was constructed around 2000 BC high up on the ‘Sperrins Mountains’. Beaghmore complex consists of 7 stone circles & 12 burial cairns. To this very day it is a total mystery on what these standing stone circles where actually for? The only fact archaeologists know about the alignment of these stones is, If you look at the photo you will notice long rows of standing stones meeting the circles. These lines of stones match the summer sunrise equinox.
If you look to the far right you will see a singular circle which is different from the other paired circles. It is unique in that the interior of the circle is filled with more than 800 smaller stones which have been placed upright within the circle and are known as “The Dragon’s Teeth”. The burial cairns are easier to understand. They are graves & cremated human remains have been found in some of these rock piles often contained in a small cyst.
Unbelievably around 1000 BC peat bogland started to cover this complex. It was since buried & lost to history under 6ft of peat bog for over 3000 years! Only being re-discovered during peat cutting in the 1940s & excavated to show its original layout. There is a high possibility that even more circles & burials are still buried under the peat/turf surrounding this complex. Hopefully someday soon it will be unearthed & finally yield the answers on what the purpose of these standing stones really were?
I have been studying the layout of stones on this photo for ages trying to somehow solve this ancient mystery but i’m admittedly still baffled???? If you can see any patterns or have any theories on why these stone circles & rows of standing stones were constructed then please share in the comments below. You may just be the first person to solve this 4000 year old riddle that even today is still lost to time…..
