In December 2018 , Scottish historians and archaeologist learned of a freshly discovered ancient recumbent rock circle on local ploughland in Leochel - Cushnie , Aberdeenshire . But this week , their excitement fizzled : According toThe Guardian , a former owner of the farmland reach the historiographer and admitted the structure was a replica gemstone lap build in the mid-1990s .
Late last year , local officials inspected theformationand determined that its dimensions , though 10 feet smaller than standardised recumbent stone circles , were in strain with others found in Scotland . Historic preservationists were thrilled with the discovery . “ It is rare for these sites to go unidentified for so long , peculiarly in such a good shape , ” Neil Ackerman , a historic surround criminal record assistant at the Aberdeenshire Council , toldAberdeen’sPress and Journal .
Recumbent stone circles(RSCs ) are specific to the Aberdeenshire region in northeasterly Scotland as well as southwest Ireland , and they often date back 3500 to 4500 long time . RSCs are traditionally launch with one turgid stone slab place categorical on the southern side of the formation , flanked by two tall stones , and made a circle by other gemstone . RSCs are thought to have served as window or manmade horizons for specific moon patterns ( such as the periodicstandstill moon ) , though they may have been used for rituals and entombment .
This one likely serve none of those role . While it ’s unclear why the landowners construct the stone circle and why they are now come blank , the truth about its recent time of origin was “ unsatisfying , ” Ackerman toldThe Guardian . But , he say , it “ adds an interesting component to its taradiddle . That it so closely copies a regional memorial type shows the local knowledge , discernment , and engagement with the archeology of the part by the local residential district . ” He noted that the council is always open to reports of any modern constructions that mimic these ancient monuments .
