Georadar reveals hidden Sanctuaries and Burial Mounds near Stonehenge
Using powerful ground penetrating radar capable of penetrating the ground to a depth of four meters, a group of archaeologists in 2014 discovered a complex of shrines and burial mounds clearly demonstrating that dozens of unknown monuments exist around Stonehenge.
The enigmatic giant stone circle of Stonehenge was believed to be an isolated complex on the edge of Salisbury Plain. But in 2014 archaeologists at Birmingham University have discovered that Stonehenge is the center of a larger network of religious monuments.
The use of radar ground scanning technology has allowed scientists to locate a large complex of sanctuaries hidden just beneath the surface, revealing the existence of 17 completely unknown wooden or stone structures. The survey lasted four years, with the mapping of an area of approximately 8 km2, the largest geophysical survey ever undertaken.
This discovery dramatically alters the prevailing view that Stonehenge was the only structure in the area, demonstrating instead that the Salisbury Plain was an active religious center with more than 60 key locations where ancient people performed their sacred rituals.
Among the most significant finds, the discovery of 50 large stones arranged along a 330 meter long line at more than 4 meters deep. Each stone is approximately 3 meters long and 1.5 meters wide and is positioned horizontally, although experts do not exclude the possibility that they were originally vertical like those at Stonehenge.
The stones are believed to have been brought to the site around 2500 BC and appear to have formed the southern arm of a C-shaped ritual enclosure. Later on the monument was transformed and made circular; it is now known as "Durrington Walls" and has been defined as the largest prehistoric complex in Great Britain: it is believed to be 12 times larger than Stonehenge.
Huge prehistoric pits have also been unearthed, some of which appear to have astronomical and solar links to Stonehenge.
Another significant discovery in the area is a mound located between Walls Durrington and Stonehenge, which later turned out to be a wooden structure christened “House of the Dead”. Archaeologists have found traces of ritual practices that involved the fleshing of the deceased, a ritual during which the skin and organs of the deceased were removed.
At the moment, the structures cannot yet be dated precisely, at least until they are excavated, and any decisions on this will be up to English Heritage.
