Monolith

A monolith is a geological feature such as a mountain, consisting of a single massive stone or rock, or a single piece of rock placed as, or within, a monument. Erosion usually exposes the geological formations, which are most often made of very hard and solid metamorphic or igneous rock.

The word derives from the Latin word monolithus from the Greek word μονόλιθος (monolithos), derived from μόνος ("one" or "single") and λίθος ("stone").

Geological monoliths

Large, well-known monoliths include:

Africa

Lalibela, Ethiopia
Ben Amera, Mauritania
Brandberg Mountain, Namibia
Aso Rock, Nigeria
Zuma Rock, Nigeria
Oruku, near Ososo

Antarctica

Scullin monolith

Asia

Savandurga, India from the northern side

Savandurga, India
Bellary, India

Madhugiri Betta, India

Sangla Hill, Pakistan
Eagle Mount, Iran
Sigiriya, Sri Lanka

File:Eagle Mount.jpg

Eagle Mount, Taft, Iran

Australia

Uluru (Ayers Rock), Northern Territory, Australia
Pine Mountain, Victoria, Australia
Bald Rock, near Tenterfield, New South Wales
Mount Coolum, Queensland
Mount Wudinna, near Wudinna, South Australia
Kokerbin Rock, Western Australia
Mount Chudalup, D'Entrecasteaux National Park, near Northcliffe, Western Australia

Europe

Kalamos, Anafi, Greece
Frau Holle Stone, near Fulda, Germany
Humber Stone, Humberstone, near Leicester, England
King Arthur's Stone, Cornwall, England
Logan Rock, Trereen, Cornwall, England
Odin Stone (Stenhouse, Orkney; destroyed in 1814)
Peñon de Ifach Calpe, Valencian Community, Spain
Rock of Gibraltar, Gibraltar
Rock of Monaco, Monaco-Ville, Monaco
Katskhi pillar, Georgia

North America

United States

Beacon Rock, Columbia River Gorge, Washington
Bottleneck Peak and Moon, Sids Mountain, Utah
Chimney Rock, Bayard, Nebraska
Courthouse and Jail Rocks, Bridgeport, Nebraska
Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming
El Capitan, Yosemite National Park, California
Enchanted Rock, Llano County, Texas
Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, California
Face Rock, Bandon, Coos County, Oregon
Haystack Rock, Clatsop County, Oregon
Looking Glass Rock, Transylvania County, North Carolina
Scotts Bluff National Monument, Gering, Nebraska
Stone Mountain, Stone Mountain, Georgia
Castle Rock, Pineville, West Virginia
Tooth of Time, Cimarron, New Mexico

Canada

Stawamus Chief, Squamish, British Columbia
Satsalla Peak, British Columbia

Mexico

Cerro del Bernal, Tamaulipas; in Spanish http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerro_del_Bernal
La Peña de Bernal, Queretaro; claimed to be the world's third largest monolith.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]

South America

Pedra da Gávea, Brazil the world's largest monolith on the coastline
Pão de Açúcar, Brazil
Torres del Paine, Chile
El Penol, Colombia

Monumental monoliths

983 CE statue of Jain prophet Gomateswara in Shravana Belgola, the world's largest standing monolith image

A structure which has been excavated as a unit from a surrounding matrix or outcropping of rock.^[5]

Stone of the Pregnant Woman, Baalbek
Aztec calendar stone "Stone of the Sun"
Coyolxauhqui Stone another aztec monolith
Great Sphinx of Giza "The Egyptian Sphinx"
Stonehenge contains several
Ellora Caves - UNESCO World Heritage Site
Gomateswara or Lord Bahubali at Sravanabelagola, Karnataka
Runestones
Stone circle
Standing stones
Stelae
Obelisks - see this article for a list
Ogham Stone, Dingle Peninsula, Ireland
Adam and Eve Stones, Avebury, Wiltshire, England
Manzanar National Historic Landmark, USA
Vijayanagara Empire#Architecture medieval South Indian carved examples
The Church of Saint George is a famous monolithic church in Lalibela, Ethiopia

Extraterrestrial Monoliths

Phobos Monolith

Notes

^ López Domínguez, Leonor (2001). "Villa de Bernal and its Magic Mountain". México Desconocido #291. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
^ "Peña de Bernal - Bernal - Queretaro" (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 November 2008.
^ Cava Northrop, Laura (2007). Let's Go Mexico: On a Budget. Macmillan. p. 370. ISBN 978-0-312-37452-5. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
^ Escobar Ledesma, Agustín (1999). Recetario del semidesierto de Querétaro: Acoyos, rejalgares y tantarrias. Conaculta. p. 75. ISBN 978-970-18-3910-2.
^ "Glossary".

External links

Regarding Uluru/Ayers Rock and earlier representations of it as the largest monolith: GA.gov.au, ABC.net.au, Wayoutback.com.au
10 Largest Monoliths in the World, touropia

[Mexico_Desconocido-1] López Domínguez, Leonor (2001). "Villa de Bernal and its Magic Mountain". México Desconocido #291. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)

[2] "Peña de Bernal - Bernal - Queretaro" (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 November 2008.

[3] Cava Northrop, Laura (2007). Let's Go Mexico: On a Budget. Macmillan. p. 370. ISBN 978-0-312-37452-5. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

[4] Escobar Ledesma, Agustín (1999). Recetario del semidesierto de Querétaro: Acoyos, rejalgares y tantarrias. Conaculta. p. 75. ISBN 978-970-18-3910-2.

[5] "Glossary".

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