Akurgan，ortumulus，leavingbeenopenedintheKhersondistrict，threeorfourconcentriccircleswerediscoveredbeneathit，surroundingastructureofconsiderablesize。[141]ThecromlechofAnajapourainCeylon，probably，however，erectedcomparativelyrecently，consistsoffifty-twogranitepillars，aboutthirteenfeethigh，encirclingaBuddhisttemple。AtPeshawurisanothercircle，fourteenofthestonesofwhicharestillupright，whilsttracescanbemadeoutofanouterenceinteofsmallerstones；inPeruthereareseveralcromlechs，whilstothershavebeenfoundatthefootofElephantMount，inthedesertplainsofAustralia。Thelast-namedvaryfromtentoonethousandfeetindiameter，butexcavationsbeneaththemhavebroughttolightonlyafewhumanbones。
　　AtMzora，inMorocco，thetravellerwillnoticeamoundofellipticalshape，some21or221/2feethigh，flankedonthewestbyagroupofmenhirs，andsurroundedbyanenceinteofuprightstoneswhichnownumberaboutforty。In1831，therewerestillninety，andonthesouthsidewerenoticedtworoundpillarsparallelwitheachother，whichprobablyformedanentrance。[142]Thisgroupevidentlyoriginallyformedthecentreofaseriesofmegalithicmonuments，foronthenorthandsouthwestsomefiftymonolithscanstillbemadeout，somestillerect，othersfallen。[143]
　　ItwasinGreatBritain，however，thatcromlechsappeartohavereachedtheirhighestdevelopment。ThatofSalkeldinCumberlandincludessixty-sevenmenhirs；thatnearLochStemsterinCaithness，thirty-three，whilstinWestmoreland，LONGMEGANDHERDAUGHTERSarestilltheobjectsofsuperstitiousreverence。TheremainsatAveburyareamongthemostremarkableprehistoricmonumentsstillextant，andevidentlyoriginallyformedpartofamostimportantgroup。Thisgrouphadanouterrampartofearth，withaditchontheinnerside，withinwhichwasacircleofuprightstones，probablynumberingasmanyasonehundred。Withinthiscircleweretwoothersofsmallersize，eachinitsturnenclosingyetanothercircleofuprightstones。Inthemiddleofoneoftheseinnercircles，thatonthenorth，wasadolmen，whilstthatonthesouthenclosedinthecentrebutasingleuprightmenhir。ThestonesusedinconstructingthesevariousgroupswereallsuchasarestilltobefoundontheWiltshiredowns。Fromthesoutheasternportionoftheextensiveearthenrampart，astoneavenueextendedforaconsiderabledistanceinaperfectlystraightline，andisstillknownasKennet’sAvenue，onaccountofitsleadingtothevillageofKennet。TheremainsonHakpenHillandonSilburyHillareallsupposedtohavebeenoriginallyconnectedwiththoseatAvebury。TheremainsatHakpenconsistofrelicsoftwocircles，oneabout140feetindiameter，theothernotmorethanforty。Abouteightyyardsfromtheinnercirclewasfoundadoublerowofskeletons，allwiththefeetpointingtowardsthecentre。SilburyHillisitselfanartificialconicalmound，thelargestinEngland，170feethigh，onwhichwereoriginallynolessthan650uprightstones，ofwhichonlytwentyarestillstanding，surroundedbyatrench。Inthecentreofthecircleofstonesasinglemenhirofgreatheightstillremainswiththreeothersslopedsoastoformakindofcrypt。
　　ThemegalithicmonumentsofStonehenge，whichareprobablybetterknownthananyothersintheworld，areperhapsalsothemostcurious。Thegroupissupposedtohaveoriginallyconsistedofanouterstoneconcentriccirclesomeonehundredfeetindiameter，formedbythirtypiersofsolidmasonry，ofwhichabouttwentycanstillbemadeout，somefewstanding，otherslyingbrokenupontheground。Thisoutercircleenclosedasecondofsimilarshapebutlesserdiameter，withinwhichagainweretaroellipticcircles，theouterconsistingoftenortwelvesandstoneblockssometwenty-twofeethigh，standinginpairs，eachpairunitedbyaslablaidhorizontallyacross，soastoformatrilithon。Theinnerellipsewasformedbynineteenuprightmassesofgranite，withinwhichwasthefamousslabofbluemarble，bymanysupposedtohavebeenanaltar。Thepillarsandlintelsoftheouterportico，andthoseofthetrilithons，arefittedtogetherwiththegreatestskill，withtenonsandmortices，aremarkableexceptiontothegeneralrulewithmegalithicmonuments。EverywhereintheneighborhoodofStonehenge，asfarastheeyecanreach，aretumuli，allnearlyequidistantfromtheprincipalgroupofmonuments，afactwhichhasledmanyarchaeologists，includingHenryMartin，tolookupon。Stonehengeasatemplesurroundedbyanecropolis。ExcavationsatStonehengehaveyieldedafewhumanboneswhichhaveescapedtheflames，withsomestoneandbronzeweapons。
　　ThemegalithicmonumentsofIrelandarenotlessimportant，andarecentsurveyhasreportednolessthan276stillstanding。[144]
　　ThecromlechsofMoytura[145]aresupposedtocommemoratethefearfulcombatswhichtookplacebetweentheFIRBOLGS，orBelgaeastheyarecalledbyIrishantiquaries，andtheTuathadeDananns，whentheplainsofSligoandMeathweredyedwithblood，beforetheformerwerevanquishedandretiredtoArran。Therearestillnolessthanfourteendolmensandthirty-ninecromlechs。Thebonespickedupbeneaththestonecircles，whichkeepalivethememoryofthesesanguinaryconflicts，arethoseofthewarriorswhofellonthebattlefield，butthestoryofhowtheymettheirfatebelongsrathertohistorythantothesubjectweareconsidering。ItisthesamewiththetwohugemonolithsofCornwall。whichcommemorateabattlebetweentheWelshKingHowelDhaandtheSaxonAthelstane，aswellaswiththecromlechsofOstrogothland，where，in736，tookplacethebattleinwhichtheoldKingHaroldHildebrandwasovercomeandkilledbyhisnephew，Sigurd-Ring。Agroupofforty-fourcirclesalsomarksthesiteofthecelebratedcombatof1030，inwhichKnuttheGreatdefiedOlafthepatronsaintofNorway。WemayalsonameinthisconnectionthetwentycirclesofstoneerectedatUplandinmemoryofthemassacreoftheDanishprince，MagnusHenricksson，in1161。Yetanothergroupofcirclesmarksthespotwhere，about1150，theSwedishheroine，Blenda，overcameKingSweyneGrate。Wemighteasilymultiplyinstancesoftheerectioninhistorictimesofsimilarmonuments，butwehavesaidenoughtoshowthatthemegalithicformwasbynomeansconfinedtoprehistoricdays。
　　Menhirsproperlysocalled，alsoknownasLECHSinBrittany，areinrealityisolatedmonolithsorsingleuprightstones，oftenofconsiderablesize。OneofthebestknownisthatofLocmariakerFig。59whichwasnearlyseventyfeethigh。[146]Itwasstillstandingin1659，butisnowoverturnedandbrokenintofourpieces。TheflatstonerestingononeportionofitisknownasCaesar’stable。Onsomemenhirs，notablyonSweno’spillarinScotland，acrosshasbeencutononeside，showingeitherthatthisformofmonumentwasearlyadoptedbyChristians，ormoreprobably，thatitwasadaptedtotheiruseafterhavinglongpreviouslybeenarelicofprehistorictimes。OntheothersideofSweno’spillarisabas-reliefoffairlygoodexecution。
　　Insomecasesmenhirsmarkthesiteofatomb，andsometimes，asisthecasewiththeobelisksofEgypt，theycommemoratesomehappyevent。AstandingstoneinScotlandpreservesthememoryofthebattleofLargs，whichtookplaceinthethirteenthcentury，andapiouslypreservedlegendtellshowthemenhirofAberlemmowassetupinhonorofavictoryovertheDanesinthetenthcentury。
　　ThegreatbrokenmenhirofLocmariaker，withCaesar’stable。
　　Somearchaeologistsinviewoftheshapeofcertainmenhirsandthesuperstitionsconnectedwiththen，thinktheymustbephallicmonuments。MenhirsinFrancearequotedinthisconnection，cutintotheformofthephallus；andthesameformoccursinsomemenhirsnearSaphos，intheislandofCyprus，[147]andinothersfoundamongsttheruinsofUxmal，inYucatan。HerodotusrelatesthatSesostriscausedtoybesetup，incountriesheconquered，monolithsbearinginreliefrepresentationsofthefemalesexualorgans。Theseare，however，butexceptions，isolatedfacts，anditwouldcertainlyneverdotoarguefromthemthatmenhirswereconnectedwiththeworshipofthegenerativeflowersofnature。
　　Itisextremelydifficulttogetatthestatisticsofmenhirs。A
　　greatmanyhavebeenoverthrown，andyetmorehavedisappearedaltogether。Probably，besidesthealignmentsorstoneavenues，therearenotmorethantwentystillstanding。[148]Onethingiscertain，themonolithicformofmonumenthasalwayshadagreatattractionforthehumanrace，andwemeetwithitinEgypt，Assyria，Persia，andMexico，aswellasinEnglandandBrittany。Thehistorianspeaksofsuchmonumentsintheearliestofexistingrecords；HomerreferstothemintheIliad，[149]andintheBiblewefinditrelatedthattheLordorderedJoshuatosetuptwelvestonesinmemoryofthecrossingoftheJordanbytheIsraelites。[150]
　　Alignmentsaregroupsofmenhirssetupinoneorworerows。Sometimeslargeslabsarelaidacrossthem，whentheyarc，calledcoveredavenues。OnesuchalignmentatSaintPantaleonSaoneetLoire
　　consistsoftwentymenhirs。ThemenhirsofElWad，inAlgeria，formlongavenues，runningfrontwesttoeast。TheArabscallthemESSENAM，andaccordingtotraditiontheywereerectedinfulfillmentofavowmadeinthehopeofarrestingthemarchofanenemy。ThetumulusofRun-AourFinisterehastwoavenuesrunningatrightanglestooneanother。[151]Thisdisposition，whichisveryrare，alsooccursatKarleby，inSweden，andbyaremarkablecoincidencethelengthoftheavenuesaboutthirty-nineandfifty-fivefeet，isthesameinbothcases。Sometimessuchavenuesformcommunicationsbetweenseveraldolmens，leadingustosupposethatnearthechiefsleptthemembersofhisfamilyorhisfavoritecompanions。
　　Thecoveredavenuesareoftenbuiltbeneathmassesofearth，andtheinnerroomsbecameregularhypogea，Thesehypogea，orsubterraneanchambers，areverycommonnearParis，andwemaymentionamongstmanyothersthoseofMeudon，Argenteuil，Conflans-Sainte-Honorine，Marly，Chamant，LaJustice，andCompans。ThetombsofDenmark，theGANGGRABENofNilsson，showanarrangementsomewhatsimilar，avastsubterraneanchamberbeingreachedbyapassageendinginasmallstonecist。ThetumulusofDissignac，nearSaint-NazaireFig。60，showsthisstrangearrangementoftwogalleriesrunningparallelwitheachotheratadistanceofabouteighteenfeet。Thewallsandceilingsaremadeofslab，antitheintersticesarefilledinwithflints。Thesegalleriesaresomethirtyfeetlong，andtheirheightinsensiblyincreasesfromaboutthreetoninefeet。
　　CoveredavenueofDissignacLoire-Inferieur；viewofthechamberattheendofthenorthgallery。
　　WemustalsomentiontheCuevadeMengal，nearthevillageofAntequera，intheprovinceofMalagaFig。61Twentystonesformthewallsofthecrypt，fiveblocksofremarkablesizeserveasaroof，andtoensuresoliditythreepillarsaresetuprightinsideofthejunctionoftheroofblocks。Thecryptissomeseventy-ninefeetlong，itsgreatestwidthisaboutnineteenfeet，anditsheightvariesfromabouteighttoninefeet。ThelengthofthePastoraroom，nearSevilleisabouteighty-sevenfeet，butitsheightisnottobecomparedwiththatoftheoneatAntequera。ThesquarecryptatPastoraisveryinteresting。Oneoftheroofstoneshavingbeenbroken，ithasbeenstrengthenedbytheadditionofaninsidepillar。[152]