Cairn

A is a man-made pile (or stack) of stones. They have been and are used for a broad variety of purposes, from prehistoric times to the present. They are often erected as landmarks, a use they have had since ancient times. However, since prehistory, they have also been built and used as burial monuments; for defense and hunting; for ceremonial purposes, sometimes relating to astronomy; to locate buried items, such as caches of food or objects; and to mark trails, among other purposes.

Cairns are used as trail markers in many parts of the world, in uplands, on moorland,   on  mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, as well as in barren deserts and tundras. They vary in size from small stone markers to entire artificial hills, and in complexity from loose conical rock piles to delicately balanced sculptures and elaborate feats of megalithic engineering. Cairns may be painted or otherwise decorated, whether for increased visibility or for religious reasons.

Sea cairns
Coastal cairns called sea marks are also common in the northern latitudes, and are placed along shores and on islands and islets. Usually painted white for improved offshore visibility, they serve as navigation aids.

Agrikan cairns
Cairns have figured prominently in the history of the. The 's roots have been traced to the Corani legionnaires who protected surviving priests of the Order of Khamar persecuted for their heretical obsession with Ilpylen’s cairn. The priests and their protectors, known as, believed that ’s victory over would come sooner if only “the Peran cairn” could be found. The founding (grandmaster), Johar Atardi, identified this fabled cairn with, an objective that has obsessed his successors ever since. This was a major factor in leading the order to try and retake Kustan in in 718, which led to disaster for the expedition.

Other types

 * Chambered cairn
 * Clava cairn
 * Court cairn
 * Ring cairn
 * Clearance cairn

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