A stone circle is a monument of standing stones arranged in a circle usually alligned to the sun. The term usually refers to the stone circles created in the British Isles and the Atlantic fringe of Europe during the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age (estimated dates). More than 1,000 such stone circles have been cataloged by archeologists. The size and number of the stones varies from example to example, and the circle shape can be an ellipse. Stone circle monuments have also been created in some other historical places and times.