Being Still: Standing Stones in Wales

San Francisco photographer Marcia Lieberman hiked through South Wales photographing a collection of ancient stones the size of small giants. Older than Stonehenge, these stones were placed in their current locations more than 4000 years ago, and since then they have not been moved. Lieberman writes, “The stones were massive—some of them fifteen feet above the ground (another 5 feet below)…Respected and protected by the community, the maenhir (the Welsh name for such singular stones) stood and waited. I found the isolation and singularity of the maenhir compelling and idiomatic. For in fact, it is not known why they exist or how they got there. What fascinated me most were the stories associated with each stone and the mysteries and dark sensibilities that local farmers told.” Lieberman sat with a stone for hours, and captured the silent presence and particular character of each one. Stationed on the land, whispered about, and protected by the farming population, these national treasures represent lost souls and wandering ghosts.

While millions of people flock to Stonehenge each year, the maenhir are mostly unvisited and unmapped. Lieberman searched them out in backyards, campgrounds, hedgerows, and farmlands. Many had not been photographed before. From farmers to poets to barons to and surfers-- all have stories and fables--passed down through the generations--to tell about the stones in their neighborhoods. Hiking throughout the countryside I found each stone, marking the horizon in a strange and unnatural manner. I was struck by the sense that the stone was a witness, waiting (for over 4000 years) in silence.