Lesson plan
Achavanich
Achavanich ( ; ) is an unusual megalithic horseshoe-shaped structure near Loch Stemster in Caithness, Scotland. Meaning "field of the stones", 36 of the original 54 remain today, mostly on the western side of the structure. The arrangement of these stones is extremely rare as the slabs are pointing towards the centre of the circle, rather than the typical side-by-side arrangement. The angle of the stones themselves is also strange. In most British stone circles, stones face the center with flat sides, but Achavanich's stones face the row at 90 degree angles. The stone circle remains open like a letter U, and evidence suggests it never was closed. The largest of the 36 remaining stones stands at only 2 meters, with an overall average of 1.5 meters tall. Although the site stood for several decades neglected and overgrown within a fenced off area which visitors were requested not to enter, access has recently been vastly improved with the clearance of the site, the repositioning of fence boundaries and the installation of information boards.
Article summary
Achavanich ( ; ) is an unusual megalithic horseshoe-shaped structure near Loch Stemster in Caithness, Scotland. Meaning "field of the stones", 36 of the original 54 remain today, mostly on the western side of the structure. The arrangement of these stones is extremely rare as the slabs are pointing towards the centre of the circle, rather than the typical side-by-side arrangement. The angle of the stones themselves is also strange. In most British stone circles, stones face the center with flat sides, but Achavanich's stones face the row at 90 degree angles. The stone circle remains open like a letter U, and evidence suggests it never was closed. The largest of the 36 remaining stones stands at only 2 meters, with an overall average of 1.5 meters tall. Although the site stood for several decades neglected and overgrown within a fenced off area which visitors were requested not to enter, access has recently been vastly improved with the clearance of the site, the repositioning of fence boundaries and the installation of information boards.
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
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