Standing stones have posed a mystery in terms of utility and function:
Standing stones found in Israel and the immediately surrounding area are almost alwaysplain stones. This “plain stone tradition” has long been identified by scholars as connected with the Biblical prohibition against iconism (images) of any kind. The plain stones appear in Palestine, however, even before the emergence of Israel; it seems there was already a tradition of avoiding figures or even inscriptions.
The lack of inscriptions or even decoration on these stones is a major obstacle to interpretation.Source: https://www.academia.edu/90037846/Mysterious_standing_stones article: Mysterious standing stones By Doron Ben-Ami
While standing stones were erected by Moses, which are called Massebah, literally “to set up”, generally, they could only be done so if they were dedicated to YHVH. Other examples, however, exist:
The standing stones at Hazor are found in a clear cultic context. Not only do they appear in all three of the Middle Bronze Age phases of the building, but they are found in association with thousands of bones, figurines, benches, offering slabs and a basin. The cautious manner with which they were treated by the later Bronze Age builders also suggests that these standing stones had a cultic function.
Did the ancient people of Hazor believe these stones contained and symbolized the gods’ spirits,thus treating them as a medium of the divine power? Did they believe the stone “enabled” or “effected” the god’s presence? Was the deity thus made immanent?
Or were the standing stones also meant to memo-rialize specific individuals or couples? Did theypoint to another place in the sanctuary that was itsfocal point, perhaps housing a statue of the god orgoddess or other emblem of the deity? source: ibid
Of course, we might be looking at the subject from the wrong perspective:
STANDING STONES seem meant to be viewed by the deity, rather than the worshipers, and may have served as continuous reminders of important Hazor officials. In the foreground is a monolithic round basin, the purpose of which is unclear. source: ibid
As sanctuaries take sacrifices, the purpose of the basin is probably to contain either water or blood or possibly both. The standing stones then serve as a kind of idol that when not dedicated to YHVH is meant to be something more akin to a provocation to test whether divine wrath will follow. Certainly, this was true in Egypt, as the Pharaohs were treated as gods. There is little reason to suppose that other cultures saw the situation differently where no dedication to YHVH was made.