Circlestones – Mysterious Ancient Circle Wall Structure

Circlestones is located in the high remote desert country, around fifty four miles toward the east of Phoenix in Arizona. It has a mysterious ancient circle wall structure which is quite impressive and has a thickness of 3 feet with a high wall which runs continuously in an almost perfect circle for around 430 to 440 feet which is interrupted by entry gateways.

 It has a slight elliptical shape to the overall circle in the dimensions of north-south as opposed to east-west which are similar to the sites in Great Britain. Besides, this there is also a flat section of wall towards the east which seems to run to around 44 feet till it reverts in a curve. Two clear spoke walls run from the centre towards the outer wall together with four faint spokes which are now somewhat difficult to identify.

The structure is on an elevation of 6010 feet above sea level and lies about 14 miles east of the Superstition Mountain and northeast of Mound Mountain making it the highest point in the Superstition Mountain Wilderness Area within the Tonto National Forest. The Superstition Wilderness has a variety of amazing pre-historic Native American dwellings and ruins which are a testimony to those who lived in these mountains ages ago.

Ancient Solstice & Equinox Sun Watch Station

It is presumed that the first Anglo-Americans to visit Circlestone were cavalrymen under Major Brown while the next Anglo-American visitor was probably Elisha Marcus Reavis, the `Hermit of the Superstitions’ when he shifted base to the high mountain valley below Circlestone in 1874.

The place where he lived is now known as Reavis Ranch and is a trail location in the Superstition Wilderness Area. After the discovery of the Circlestone, there were various theories for several years on what it really was which ranged from corral for cattle to ancient observatory and it is now an accepted fact that it is an ancient Solstice and Equinox Sun Watch Station which was built by ancient Sinagua, a pre-Columbian cultural group of people in Arizona. It has a site known as Casa Malpais near Springerville, in Arizona which has a somewhat similar circular structure.

Aligns with Summer and Winter Solstices

Besides this, there is also another site which is similar, in Wyoming which is known as Bighorn Medicine Wheel. Around 1000 yards from this structure, one will find a sandstone cliff with drawings of Ursa Major and the sun. An opening in Circlestone wall aligns with the summer and winter solstices. Moreover, a 17 foot square structure at the centre of the Circlestone has some astronomical alignments in the square while there are several others as well.

This structure is one of the several circular stonewall sites which has survived in the region with the other similar impressive site which is the Casa Malpais. There is a lot of speculation on the Circlestone structure, on how remote this high desert circle observatory is situated that is away from resources more conducive to a rational and a large population which is making it more interesting and intriguing.