Meayll Hill (Mull Hill) Stone Circle

Ghostly moorland

The unusual ring of stones has been well known to local people, but it does not have a good name. People have told stories about sudden disorientation here, weird moving lights, some have heard unexplained sounds – as if galloping invisible horses. Most impressive is the story about a ghostly army of horsemen riding along the stone ring – not unlike the gruesome stories about the Wild Hunt elsewhere in the British Isles.

Ring of graves

Despite its name Meayll Hill Stone Circle (Meayll in Manx means "bald") is not a true megalithic stone circle (like Stonehenge) – it is a unique group of passage graves.

We will never know why – but here the Neolithic people placed their graves in a circle. In total there are twelve stone chambers grouped in pairs. Like sunbeams in children painting six passages are leading towards each pair of chambers.

Chambers form a circle with two gaps. The larger gap is in the north-north-west (4.9 m) and smaller – in the south-south-east (5.2 m). These are possible entrances.

In the north-south direction the diameter of the ring is 16.2 m, in the east-west direction – 15.6 m. The open interior is 13.4 m across.

Passages leading towards the graves are lined with standing stones, the chambers are formed of enormous blocks of crude stone and paved with flat stones. Some of the stones on the western side reach up to 1 m high. Neolithic builders used local slates for construction.

Each of the passage graves of Meayll Hill Stone Circle is a rather traditional monument characteristic of Neolithic farmers in the British Isles. But the composition of 12 such passage graves in a ring is very unusual.

There are few similar monuments in the world. Distantly similar is Cerrig Y Gof – an oval setting of five burial chambers in Pembrokeshire, Wales. On the Isle of Man are found also traces of so-called "disc-shaped barrows".

Unique Neolithic burial

People are rather conservative regarding the traditions of burial. Each culture develops its own rituals and traditions to commemorate their deceased ones and in general, don’t change these traditions in haste. Nevertheless, all over the world there are found exceptions to this rule – highly original, elaborate ancient burials that differ from any other monuments nearby.

Meayll Hill Stone Circle is one of such exceptions (Dwarfie Stane in Orkney Islands is one more).

Another amazing feature is a group of stone settings – fundaments of Neolithic huts to the east from passage graves. Most likely the deceased ones lived in this village. There has been found even an ancient path between the village and its magnificent burial complex.

Bones and ceramics

Local historian P.M.C.Kermode and Scottish scientist W.A.Herdman organized the first excavations in the mysterious stone circle – one in August – September 1893 (results published in 1904) and next – in 1911 (published in 1914). A.S.Henshall explored the graves in 1971 (published in 1978).

Findings show that Meayll people were skilled potters who produced diverse, richly decorated vessels. There were found many sherds of these vessels. These urns were used to hold the remains of the deceased – in each burial cist were placed several such urns. There were found also cremated bones, flint arrowheads, knives, and – rounded white quartz pebbles.

Burial in the centre of the ring

Exploration shows that in the middle of the ring was located one more burial – most likely older than the ring of graves around it. The middle part of the ring had a more traditional passage grave covered with a heap of rubble. It seems that this central grave later developed into an object of special importance to the local community.

Plundering

Unfortunately this ancient burial has been ransacked well before the first excavations. People have gathered everything that can be easily carried away – even all the capstones of burial chambers. Damage has been done also by the seekers of valuables.

Nothing is forever – even the respect for the dead.

References

1. The Isle of Man, Celebrating a Sense of Place, edited by Vaughan Robinson & Danny McCarroll, Liverpool University Press. 1990.
2. Aubrey Burl. A Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany. 1995, 2005 by Yale University.