Quiz: The Pre-Historic Monuments of Britain
Britain is littered with the remains of prehistoric cultures. Most people will recognise Stonehenge but the story does not end there - come and have a look.
Question 1 / 10
This is the largest stone circle in Europe, it is so large that the village that gives it its name lies completely within it.
Question 2 / 10
The most iconic image of Stonehenge is the large stones with another stone laid across the top like a lintel. What name is given to these structures?
'Tri' - meaning 'three' and 'lith' meaning stones.
Like Avebury, Stonehenge was adapted and altered over the millenia. One of the most interesting features are the small "blue stones" which came all the way from South West Wales.
Question 3 / 10
At 130 feet high and covering around 5 acres what is the largest man made mound in Europe?
No one knows the function of Silbury Hill. Legend says it is the resting place of King Sil who lies buried underneath with a lifesize golden statue of him and his horse.
Question 4 / 10
Which stone circle lies next to the main road between Buxton and Ashbourne in Derbyshire?
Arbor Low is sometimes described as the Stonehenge of the North. In reality it is a circle of 50 limestone blocks lying like a giant clock face. On a clear day there are some incredible views across the Peak District.
Question 5 / 10
Which neolithic village was found on Orkney after a severe storm uncovered it in 1850?
Scara Brae was discovered in almost perfect condition after the storm blew its sandy covering off. The houses are stone built and date from arounf 3,200 BCE. Each house has stone lined beds and a large structure that is thought to be a dresser of some sort.
Question 6 / 10
In 1962 Professor Alexander Thom proposed that prehistoric people had a standard unit of measurement. What did he call this unit?
Alexander Thom surveyed 250 stone cirlces in the British Isles and proposed that there were common distances used in each that were equivalent to 2.72 feet. He called this the megalithic yard. This theory has been generally been rejected by archaeologists in the years since.
Question 7 / 10
Druids built Stonehenge.
Although Druids may have worshipped at places like Stonehenge they are much too modern to have anything to do with the building of the site. The connection between druids and Stonehenge was the work of Victorian antiquarians who were desperately looking for answers to explain such impressive structures.
Question 8 / 10
What is 110 metres long, is around 3,000 years old, cannot be seen in its entirety from ground level and is periodically scoured?
Uffington White Horse lies across the crest of a hillside in Oxfordshire. It has been the subject of fierce debate as to how old it is but recent surveys have proven it to be Bronze Age in date. It is impossible to see clearly from the ground but aerial photography shows it to be an iconic symbol of a horse.
Question 9 / 10
Grimes Graves on the Norfolk/Suffolk border is what?
Grimes Graves are between 4,000 and 5,000 years old and are a series of shafts, some up to 40 feet deep where neolithic people dug to find flint. Remains that have been found in the mines show that they were dug using simple tools such as deer antler picks and shovels made from the shoulder bones of oxen.
Question 10 / 10
In 1998 a strange structure was found on the beach near Holme in Norfolk. It consisted of a tree trunk that had been inverted and buried in the sand surrounded by a wooden pallisade wall. Wha
Congratulations!
You gave correct answers for {correct_score} out of {possible_score} questions in just {timer_minutes} minutes and {timer_seconds} seconds. Nice job!
Did you like this quiz?
Discussion
There are no comments yet.
The stone circle complex at Avebury consists of three stone circles, the largest of which has a diameter of 420 metres. Building started around 3,000 years ago and there were many alterations over the next 2,000 years or so. Avebury lies in a landscape that is covered in prehistoric remains.