# Three dots in a triangle = ancient monument. Why?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-dots-in-a-triangle-ancient-monument-why/269399>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 15, 2004, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-dots-in-a-triangle-ancient-monument-why/269399 "2004-10-15T16:45:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-dots-in-a-triangle-ancient-monument-why/269399/1 "2004-10-15T16:45:28Z")

</div>

Why are three dots in a triangle (like the “therefore” symbol in maths) used as the symbol for ancient ruins or archaeological sites on maps? Are they supposed to represent something in particular or is it just one of those things?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-dots-in-a-triangle-ancient-monument-why/269399/2 "2004-10-15T17:15:53Z")

</div>

Maybe it represents a cairn of stones?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![aerodave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f08c70/32.png) [@aerodave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aerodave)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-dots-in-a-triangle-ancient-monument-why/269399/3 "2004-10-15T21:21:59Z")

</div>

I always thought it meant that the Predator was about to rip your lungs out.

😛