Blurs

On a windswept rise above the north Antrim coast stands a small prehistoric monument with an evocative name: the Druid Stone. The name suggests ancient priests, secret ceremonies and perhaps human sacrifice beneath the shadow of a great stone. But there is a problem with the story. The monument almost certainly has nothing whatsoever to do with Druids. Instead, archaeologists believe the structure was built thousands of years before the Druids emerged as a recognisable religious class. And a new investigation at the site in 2026 is beginning to reveal more about the people who constructed it — and perhaps where their ideas came from. A Monument Above the Irish Sea The Druid Stone lies at Ballintoy in County Antrim, close to the spectacular coastline overlooking White Park Bay. Today, the remains occupy a small elevated position with commanding views across the surrounding landscape. It is a relatively modest monument compared with some of Britain's better-known megalithic structure...

Scattered across museums and archaeological collections are hundreds of small stone objects that look almost deceptively simple. They are usually about the size of a tennis ball, although some are smaller or considerably larger.  Many are almost perfectly rounded. Others have been carved into elaborate geometric shapes, with raised knobs, grooves and carefully arranged patterns. They are the Neolithic stone balls of Scotland. Most date from roughly 3200 to 2500 BCE, making them more than 4,500 years old. But despite their age, craftsmanship and sheer variety, archaeologists still cannot say with certainty what they were actually used for. Were they weapons? Tools? Symbols of status? Ritual objects? Or perhaps something else entirely? Hundreds Have Been Found More than 400 examples are known, with the vast majority coming from Scotland. They have been discovered in different archaeological contexts, including settlements, graves and other sites. Most are made from stone, although th...