Volunteers Uncover Rare, 4,800-Year-Old Stone Circle in England
Ground scans at Castilly Henge revealed seven pits where ancient stones once stood
Jane Recker
Daily Correspondent
May 20, 2022
The Neolithic-Era henge was completely obscured by overgrown vegetation. Heritage England
Ring-shaped henges dot the English countryside—and have stumped archaeologists for years. What were they used for? Did they serve as religious sites or have some more mundane purpose?
Now, the discovery of a rare stone circle at a prehistoric henge in Cornwall is raising the same old questions—and deepening researchers’ understanding of these iconic sites. The Guardian’s Harriet Sherwood reports that conservation efforts by the government commission Historic England revealed pits in a “crooked horseshoe formation” at Castilly Henge.
Research at the Late Neolithic henge began in 2021 after overgrown vegetation was removed from the site to allow researchers to get a closer look. According to the BBC News, scientists using ground-penetrating radar and other techniques discovered a previously unseen circle with seven points where stones would have been.
There could be more of the regularly-spaced pits which, when combined with the others, might form a complete oval. However, scientists were unable to sufficiently examine the northern area of the site due to ground conditions. Based on the pits they did find, researchers believe some of the stones were eventually removed and taken away, while others would were pushed face-down into their own pits.
More:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/volunteers-uncover-rare-4800-year-old-stone-circle-england-henge-180980116/
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