Porlock Stone Circle, on Exmoor in the south-western English county of Somerset, is part of a tradition of stone circle construction that spread throughout much of Britain, Ireland, and Brittany during the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age between 3,300 and 900 BCE. The purpose of such monuments is unknown, although archaeologists speculate that the stones represented supernatural entities for the circles' builders. Many monuments were built in Exmoor during the Bronze Age, but the only other surviving stone circle in the area is the one near Withypool. The circle near Porlock is about 24 metres (79 feet) in diameter and has thirteen green micaceous sandstone rocks. Directly to the north-east of the ring is a cairn apparently connected to a linear stone row. A small lead wheel inside the circle suggests that the site was visited during the Romano-British period. The site was rediscovered in the 1920s.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porlock_Stone_Circle

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1871:

A number of independent German states unified to form the German Empire, with King Wilhelm I of Prussia as emperor. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unification_of_Germany

1915:

Japanese prime minister Ōkuma Shigenobu issued the Twenty-One Demands to China in a bid to increase Japan's power in East Asia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-One_Demands

1943:

World War II: In Operation Iskra, the Red Army established a narrow land corridor to Leningrad, partially easing the protracted German siege. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Iskra

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

banausic: 1. (formal) Of or pertaining to technical matters; mechanical. 2. (formal) Uncultured, unrefined, utilitarian. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/banausic

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

History will rightly remember today's violence at the Capitol, incited by a sitting president who has continued to baselessly lie about the outcome of a lawful election, as a moment of great dishonor and shame for our nation. … I've been heartened to see many members of the President's party speak up forcefully today. Their voices add to the examples of Republican state and local election officials in states like Georgia who've refused to be intimidated and have discharged their duties honorably. We need more leaders like these — right now and in the days, weeks, and months ahead as President-Elect Biden works to restore a common purpose to our politics. It's up to all of us as Americans, regardless of party, to support him in that goal.   --Barack Obama https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Barack_Obama