I Have A Thing For Monoliths

I really do, and I don't know why, but they just fascinate me! Some have known history, some are a mystery. Massive pieces of stone placed in a precarious positions thousands of years ago. Incredible statues carved literally out of mountains -- freaking mountains!



I think that is just about the coolest thing. Before I die, I want to tour some of the worlds coolest. I have a constantly changing list of ones I want to see before I die.



I drove through South Dakota with my brothers once, on the way to my older Brother's wedding. Mount Rushmore was pretty impressive, until I saw Crazy Horse. Even in the unfinished state -- and they've made progress since then -- the scale of the project is amazing! The finished statue will be the largest carved statue on the planet. 641 feet (195 m) wide and 563 feet (172 m) high, a marvel to match the pyramids, potentially able to last longer than, well frankly, our civilization! Personally, I think the federal government throwing millions at this project would be a better stimulus than the extra $20 bucks a months that aren't going to be deducted from my paycheck in taxes by the current Stimulus Bill as passed! Although I'm not sure that they particularly want the governments "help", it could create thousands of, albeit temporary jobs, and when they were finished a national treasure would be left behind that could easily outlast (and dwarf) the Sphynx in Egypt!




The Sphynx, in addition to being a great segway away from politics, is at the top of the list! Touring the Giza pyramid complex should be on anyones "bucket list" in my opinion! Although the pyramids technically don't count as "monoliths" (made from a single, massive stone), I'm including them. It's only because it appears this list may never end that I don't include a slew of cathedrals, temples, etc...


Great Britain has a number of sites I would love to visit. Stonehenge, obviously, although there are many less known standing stone sites.



Men-an-tol is about three hours away from Stonehenge. Passing through the center stone was supposed to cure physical ailments, from rickets to infertility. Although no one really knows it's age, it is generally assumed to be 3000-4000 years old. I hope I can still fit through the hole when I make it there... ...it looks like a tight fit.




The Callanish Stones were erected on the west coast of the isle of Lewis, Scotland. This island has a crazy number of prehistoric standing stones, with a wide range of theories on their purpose and evolving functions over the centuries. Construction of the (pictured) site took place between 2900 and 2600 BC, though there were possibly earlier buildings before 3000 BC.



I'd like to visit Easter Island.



The Moai were carved around 1100 AD, and the island seems to have only been inhabited since 400-500 AD. Although technologically they seemed to have been a "stone age" society, the process of transporting and erecting the huge statues from the single quarry used is a feat that "modern man" has been only able to recreate in a limited fashion.





A book I recently read got me thinking about the Buddha's of Bamiyan, which got me thinking about monoliths...




It's ironic, that the great Buddha's were rather obscure monuments, until the destruction by the Taliban. Now, both Thailand and Japan have committed to the restoration of the monuments, and the French Foreign Ministry and the American National Geographic Society are currently funding excavations on a nearby site that may contain a third Buddha, in a laying position that may be larger than the destroyed statues.