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Giant's Ring

MegalithicEurope

Massive late-Neolithic henge enclosing a small passage dolmen, located at Ballynahatty just south of Belfast in County Down, Northern Ireland. The henge bank is approximately 200 m in diameter and 4 m tall, conventionally dated c. 2700 BCE. At its geometric center stands a five-stone portal dolmen — the proportions of the ring to the dolmen are anomalous compared to other Irish henges. Recent geophysical survey revealed a substantial timber circle predating the stone phase, plus a separate timber palisaded enclosure adjacent to the henge. Hugh Newman covers the Giant's Ring as a critical Northern Ireland henge.

54.5436°, -5.9558°

Look Closer — this site carries open questions: stones heavier than the period's tools could lift; geometry beyond period explanation.
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Walkthrough videos (1)

The Giant's Ring | Neolithic Henge & Dolmen in Northern Ireland | MegalithomaniaThe Giant's Ring | Neolithic Henge & Dolmen in Northern Ireland | MegalithomaniaHugh Newman / Megalithomania

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