New Evidence Unveils Ancient Earthworks Near England's Famed Stone Monument
Archaeologists have confirmed that humans created vast network of pits near the iconic Stonehenge monument in Wiltshire, England. The discovery was made by combining innovative scientific techniques to analyze data from various sources, including soil cores and geophysical surveys.
The Durrington pit circle, as it has come to be known, is a sprawling structure spanning approximately 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) across, with multiple pits varying in size from 5 meters deep and 10 meters wide. The intricate earthworks are believed to have been created by Neolithic people during the late Stone Age period, around 4,000 years ago.
The initial discovery of this massive prehistoric structure was made in 2020, but further analysis has provided conclusive evidence that humans were responsible for its construction. Prof. Vincent Gaffney, a leading archaeologist from the University of Bradford, stated that "the exceptional size of the pits demanded a novel strategy to explore them without the need for a major excavation."
The team employed a range of techniques to analyze data from soil cores and geophysical surveys, including optically stimulated luminescence to date the soil directly from its last exposure to sunlight. The researchers found repeating patterns in the soil samples that suggest human involvement.
While some skeptics initially questioned the origins of the pits, Gaffney asserts that these patterns are impossible for natural occurrences and confirm the existence of a deliberate structure created by ancient humans. He suggests that "the pits may have been dug in the late Neolithic period" and might be connected to a belief in an underworld.
The discovery is significant not only because it sheds new light on the lives of our ancestors but also provides insights into their cosmology and spiritual practices. The sheer scale of this ancient earthwork at Stonehenge reiterates that these prehistoric people were capable of creating monumental structures that continue to awe us today.
As researchers continue to unravel the mysteries surrounding this enigmatic site, it is clear that the discovery will have far-reaching implications for our understanding of human history and cultural evolution.
Archaeologists have confirmed that humans created vast network of pits near the iconic Stonehenge monument in Wiltshire, England. The discovery was made by combining innovative scientific techniques to analyze data from various sources, including soil cores and geophysical surveys.
The Durrington pit circle, as it has come to be known, is a sprawling structure spanning approximately 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) across, with multiple pits varying in size from 5 meters deep and 10 meters wide. The intricate earthworks are believed to have been created by Neolithic people during the late Stone Age period, around 4,000 years ago.
The initial discovery of this massive prehistoric structure was made in 2020, but further analysis has provided conclusive evidence that humans were responsible for its construction. Prof. Vincent Gaffney, a leading archaeologist from the University of Bradford, stated that "the exceptional size of the pits demanded a novel strategy to explore them without the need for a major excavation."
The team employed a range of techniques to analyze data from soil cores and geophysical surveys, including optically stimulated luminescence to date the soil directly from its last exposure to sunlight. The researchers found repeating patterns in the soil samples that suggest human involvement.
While some skeptics initially questioned the origins of the pits, Gaffney asserts that these patterns are impossible for natural occurrences and confirm the existence of a deliberate structure created by ancient humans. He suggests that "the pits may have been dug in the late Neolithic period" and might be connected to a belief in an underworld.
The discovery is significant not only because it sheds new light on the lives of our ancestors but also provides insights into their cosmology and spiritual practices. The sheer scale of this ancient earthwork at Stonehenge reiterates that these prehistoric people were capable of creating monumental structures that continue to awe us today.
As researchers continue to unravel the mysteries surrounding this enigmatic site, it is clear that the discovery will have far-reaching implications for our understanding of human history and cultural evolution.
i'm literally speechless about this latest discovery near Stonehenge! can u even imagine these ancient ppl digging a 1 mile long pit circle? 
it's wild to think that they had a whole strategy to build something so massive without needing to dig up the whole thing at once. 
and I love how they used all these fancy tech methods to confirm the human-made origins of the pits - it's like they're speaking my language! 
the fact that we can learn more about their spiritual practices and cosmology is honestly giving me goosebumps 
what a mind-blowing discovery! 
the durrington pit circle is like something out of a movie 
ancient humans were total rockstars 
building these massive structures 4,000 years ago is mind blowing 
its like they were solving a puzzle and found the answer 
and yeah its def possible that these pits are connected to some sort of underworld mythos 
but honestly who cares what it means? 
its just cool that we get to learn more about our ancestors and their awesomeness 
And the fact that they used a combination of techniques to analyze the data is just genius. I love how the researchers are still unraveling the mysteries of this site and it's clear that this discovery will change our understanding of human history forever 
, i'd love to see more about that.
the scale of it all is just wow imagine these ppl creating such epic structures in ancient times we r still trying 2 understand their lives & beliefs but dis discovery is giving us some major clues! 
They must've done some serious digging (pun intended) to get to the bottom of this. The part about the soil cores and geophysical surveys is pretty cool too - who knew those techniques could help us uncover ancient secrets like that? 
Anyway, it's always awesome to learn more about our history and how our ancestors lived.
Anyway, it's crazy to think that these Neolithic people were able to create such a massive structure. The idea of them digging multiple pits in a circle is mind-blowing 
. It just goes to show that humans are capable of amazing things when we work together and use our creativity.
. and now we get to learn more about our ancestors' spiritual practices 
. it's wild to think these prehistoric people were capable of building something like this at Stonehenge 
I'm also loving how the team used all these fancy tech tricks to figure out what really went down. Optically stimulated luminescence, geophysical surveys... talk about being on top of your game! 
The fact that they can prove it was humans who built this stuff is just amazing - no wonder we're still fascinated by it today. It's like, the ultimate proof that our ancestors were way more interesting than we thought. 
... It makes me wonder what other secrets are hidden beneath our feet.
. Can't wait to see what other mysteries get uncovered in the coming years! 
. And I love how this discovery is making us question what they believed in and how it might be connected to their daily life 
. The idea that there was a "beliefs in an underworld" theory is super intriguing 
.
i mean, imagine digging something that huge without any modern tools... incredible!