Mystery stone circle reveals 'ultimate adventure story' of human presence in Europe

[Judi Lynn]

Early humans likely chose the site due to its good access to coastal and riverine resources

Vishwam Sankaran
Monday 12 May 2025 07:59 BST

Strange stone circles found at the Isle of Skye could be evidence of the earliest human occupation of Scotland’s frigid northwest, pushing survival boundaries, a new study says.

The research sheds more light on the “ultimate adventure” undertaken by early humans to reach the “far end” of Scotland, say archaeologists from the University of Glasgow.

The enigmatic circles, each between 3 and 5m (10 and 16ft) in size, as well as stone tools found at the site, have been dated to around 11,500 – 11,000 years ago – an era known as the Late Upper Palaeolithic (LUP) period.

This provides proof of what was likely a large concentration of a pioneer human population at this Scottish site, which appears to be below modern sea level.

The new findings, published in The Journal of Quaternary Science, indicate that early humans from this period ventured much further north than previously believed.

More:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/stone-circle-scotland-human-presence-earliest-b2748987.html

[multigraincracker]

1. My Scottish ancestors?