About Stones of Stenness Circle and Henge

The Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar are two of Britain's best-preserved prehistoric monuments. They were built between 5,400 and 4,500 years ago. Our best guess as to their function is that they were involved in activities and ceremonies celebrating the relationship between living and past communities.
Archaeologists call monuments of this kind 'henge monuments'. The henge itself was the substantial ditch and outer bank, a considerable physical obstacle around the circle of standing stones. The only way into and out of the circle was via causeways (one in the case of Stenness, two at Brodgar).
The two sites sit in one of the richest Neolithic landscapes in Europe. This was a place of stone circles, villages and burial monuments, where people lived, worshipped and honoured their dead.
Near Stenness and Brodgar are other incredible survivals from that far-off age, including most notably the chambered tomb of Maeshowe[link] and the village at Skara Brae[link]. This richness was formally recognised in 1999 when these and other lesser monuments were inscribed upon the World Heritage List as the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site.
The Stones of Stenness:
The Stones of Stenness may be the earliest henge monument in the British Isles, built around 5,