Stonehenge’s Hidden Symbolism: Was It a Temple of Fertility With Giant Phallus?

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New research suggests that Stonehenge may have been more than a center for solar worship—it might also have served as a fertility temple. A recent study of a fallen stone at the site indicates that it may have been deliberately sculpted to resemble a giant phallus, adding another layer of symbolism to the ancient monument.  

 

Professor Terence Meaden, an archaeologist and retired physicist, has conducted a detailed analysis of the stone, which is now partially buried. His findings suggest that when the stone was still upright, it would have stood at 2.6 meters, featuring a distinctively shaped 80-centimeter bulbous tip, resembling an erect male organ. According to Professor Meaden, prehistoric craftsmen appear to have removed as much as 200,000 cubic centimeters of stone to enhance its phallic form.

 

"When the phallic stone was in its original upright position on the main solar solstice axis of the monument, it would have blocked any view of the winter-solstice sunset for observers approaching along that probably sacred axis. Instead, they would have witnessed the great stone penis, framed between the two uprights and lintel of what would have been Stonehenge’s largest single structure, the so-called Great Trilithon, standing immediately behind it. The phallic stone would then have been wonderfully backlit by the Sun as the glowing solar disc descended to the horizon," said Professor Meaden.  

 

Pictured here (lying partly buried in the ground) is Stonehenge’s ‘stone 67’ which Professor Meaden is proposing was deliberately shaped to resemble a penis. At its far end is it’s bulbous tip (it’s probable glans). And below it’s bulbous end, the shaft of the phallus appears to have been deliberately ‘slimmed down’ to make it less bulbous than the glans. The stone to the right is the fallen lintel from the Great Trilithon

 

While no other large phallic standing stones have been identified at Stonehenge, small carved stone phalluses from the same era have been discovered just two miles from the site. Similar symbols have been important in many ancient cultures, particularly in Europe and Asia, where they were often associated with fertility rites.  

 

The stone, previously labeled as "Stone 67" by archaeologists, occupied a central position in the monument’s design, directly aligned with both the midsummer sunrise and midwinter sunset. The only other stone within the circle following that same alignment is the Altar Stone, a six-tonne rock transported from northern Scotland. Unlike the other stones at the site, there is evidence suggesting that the Altar Stone was never intended to stand upright.  

 

Professor Meaden theorizes that the Altar Stone may represent female fertility, forming a symbolic pair with the phallic-shaped Stone 67. The significant effort invested in transporting the Altar Stone from a distant location further underscores its importance. If the two stones were meant to embody male and female principles, they could symbolize a solar and lunar deity or a union between the Sun and Mother Earth. Such pairings were common in ancient belief systems, where male solar gods were often associated with female lunar or earth deities.  

 

During winter solstice rituals, the phallic stone would have been dramatically backlit by the setting sun, marking the year’s shortest day and symbolizing the Sun’s death and rebirth. This alignment may have played a central role in ceremonies at Stonehenge, reinforcing its possible function as a fertility temple intertwined with celestial cycles.

 

Based on a report by The Independent  2025-02-27