Nature & Environment
Huge Mysterious 5,600-Year-Old Ritualistic Complex Found Near Stonehenge
Angela Betsaida Laguipo
First Posted: Nov 22, 2016 04:00 AM EST
A huge and mysterious 200-meter prehistoric religious complex about 5,650 years old has been uncovered in a city around just 2.4 kilometers from the famous Stonehenge, a finding that shows that the area is more sacred than previously thought.
The newly discovered ceremonial complex sheds light on the possibility that even hundred of years before the Stonehenge was built, the entire area and region was engaged in ritualistic activities. The remains of the huge gathering place were found near Larkhill, dating back to 3,650 B.C. -- about 700 years before the Stonehenge was known to be erected.
This new discovery could, in fact, shed light on why the mysterious circular stone monument was established in the first place.
According to NDTV, the complex consisted of about 950 meters of segmented ditches arranged in two concentric circles. Archaeologists have already excavated about 100-meters worth of the outer ditch and they are studying on how much of the whole complex has survived.
At the moment, archeologists have unearthed some pottery, animal bones, human skull fragments and worked flint in the area surrounding the enclosure.
Developers discovered the huge and ancient religious complex when they were preparing to build houses on the Ministry of Defense land for new services accommodation.
Over the past years, there have been many possible answers on why the Stonehenge was erected, including the possibility that it was used as an astronomical calendar or a religious site for prehistoric people. However, there has not been a real study that has determined its purpose.
Archeologists are hoping that this new discovery could provide answers to the long-standing questions about the Stonehenge.
"The newly found site is one of the most exciting discoveries in the Stonehenge landscape that archaeologists have ever made," a prehistorian with Wessex Archaeology, Matt told The Independent.
"It transforms our understanding of the intensity of early Neolithic activity in the area," he added.
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TagsStonehenge, rituals, Religion, prehistoric humans, Prehistoric, relics, artifacts, Discovery, Ancient ©2024 ScienceWorldReport.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The window to the world of science news.
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First Posted: Nov 22, 2016 04:00 AM EST
A huge and mysterious 200-meter prehistoric religious complex about 5,650 years old has been uncovered in a city around just 2.4 kilometers from the famous Stonehenge, a finding that shows that the area is more sacred than previously thought.
The newly discovered ceremonial complex sheds light on the possibility that even hundred of years before the Stonehenge was built, the entire area and region was engaged in ritualistic activities. The remains of the huge gathering place were found near Larkhill, dating back to 3,650 B.C. -- about 700 years before the Stonehenge was known to be erected.
This new discovery could, in fact, shed light on why the mysterious circular stone monument was established in the first place.
According to NDTV, the complex consisted of about 950 meters of segmented ditches arranged in two concentric circles. Archaeologists have already excavated about 100-meters worth of the outer ditch and they are studying on how much of the whole complex has survived.
At the moment, archeologists have unearthed some pottery, animal bones, human skull fragments and worked flint in the area surrounding the enclosure.
Developers discovered the huge and ancient religious complex when they were preparing to build houses on the Ministry of Defense land for new services accommodation.
Over the past years, there have been many possible answers on why the Stonehenge was erected, including the possibility that it was used as an astronomical calendar or a religious site for prehistoric people. However, there has not been a real study that has determined its purpose.
Archeologists are hoping that this new discovery could provide answers to the long-standing questions about the Stonehenge.
"The newly found site is one of the most exciting discoveries in the Stonehenge landscape that archaeologists have ever made," a prehistorian with Wessex Archaeology, Matt told The Independent.
"It transforms our understanding of the intensity of early Neolithic activity in the area," he added.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone