Menhir : In News
An Iron Age menhir, a memorial pillar locally known as ‘Niluvu Rayi’ found in Kamasanpalli village of Nagarkurnool district in Telangana, faces neglect.
- A menhir is a large upright standing stone.
- Menhirs may be found singly as monoliths, or as part of a group of similar stones.
- They are widely distributed across Europe, Africa, and Asia, but are most numerous in Western Europe.
- Their size can vary considerably; but their shape is generally uneven and squared, often tapering towards the top.
- Often menhirs were placed together, forming circles, semicircles, or vast ellipses.
- Megalithic menhirs were also placed in several parallel rows, called alignments. The most famous of these are the Carnac, France, alignments, which include 2,935 menhirs.
- They are sometimes engraved with abstract forms (line, spiral) or with objects’ images like axes.
- Identifying the uses of menhirs remains speculation. However, it is likely that many uses involved fertility rites and seasonal cycles.
