Mên-an-Tol, Madron, Cornwall. The monument consists of four stones: one fallen, two uprights, and be
Mên-an-Tol, Madron, Cornwall. The monument consists of four stones: one fallen, two uprights, and between these a circular one, 1.3m, pierced by a hole about half its size in diameter. An old plan of Mên-an-Tol (‘stone with a hole’ in Cornish) shows that originally the three main stones stood in a triangle, which makes archaeo-astronomical claims for it difficult to support. They could be the remains of a Neolithic 'tomb’, because holed stones are known to have have served as entrances to chambers. Its age in uncertain but it is usually assigned to the Bronze Age, between 3000-4000 years ago. Antiquarian representations of the site differ in significant details and it is possible that the elements of the site have been rearranged on several occasions. W Borlase described the monument in the 18th Century as having a triangular layout, and it has been suggested that the holed stone was moved from its earlier position to stand in a direct alignment between the two standing stones. In the mid 19th Century, a local antiquarian proposed that the site was in fact the remains of a stone circle. This idea was given additional support when a recent site survey identified a number of recumbent stones lying just beneath the modern turf which were arranged along the circumference of a circle 18 metres in diameter. The recumbent stones are somewhat irregularly spaced but the three extant upright stones have smooth inward facing surfaces and are of a similar height to other stone circles in Penwith. If this is indeed the origin of the site, the holed stone would probably have been aligned along the circumference of the circle and would have had a special ritual significance possibly by providing a lens through which to view other sites or features in the landscape, or as a window onto other worlds. There have also been suggestions that it may have been a component of a burial chamber or cist. There are instances of burial chambers close to stone circles, as at nearby Boskednan, and a barrow mound with stone cist has been identified to the north-east of the site, so it seems likely that the site was part of a more extensive ritual or ceremonial complex. (presso Mên-an-Tol) -- source link