Construction Workers Accidentally Discovered A Stonehenge-Esque Ritual Site
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Archaeologists have discovered a Stonehenge-esque circle of timber posts in Denmark, thought to be from the late Neolithic or early Bronze Age.
The site was likely used as a ritual ground and gathering place, and the wood posts may have been aligned with the Sun as the stones in Stonehenge were.
Further excavations and DNA testing will attempt to determine who built this circle, and whether they were related to the builders of sites like Stonehenge and Woodhenge.
Many archaeological discoveries make themselves known to the world by mere accident, and construction workers in Denmark have added another major discovery to that list. During the building of a housing development in the Danish town of Aars, workers unearthed a site reminiscent of the mysterious and iconic Stonehenge.
Further excavation revealed the remnants of wooden posts that had been arranged in a circle, which initially stumped Vesthimmerlands Museum curator Sidsel Wåhlin. Along with excavation leader Andreas Bo Nielsen and his research team, the team deduced that the collection of wooden posts was most likely a ritual structure similar to the legendary Stonehenge and its neighbor, Woodhenge.
'It was an extraordinary find,' Wåhlin said in a museum press release. 'The timber circle gives us valuable insight into rituals and social structures from the late Stone Age [or] early Bronze Age. It is a testament to Denmark's rich archaeological heritage, and the close connections of the Himmerländing people to other areas and peoples in Europe.'
Made of at least 45 wooden posts placed two meters (6.5 feet) apart, the entire structure has a diameter of 30 meters (about 98 feet) and is thought to have been built sometime between 2600 and 1600 B.C. It was built on what is already known to be sacred ancient land where rituals were performed. A similar wooden henge, which was determined to be a gravesite with burial mounds, had previously been found a little over a mile north.
The newly excavated Danish site was likely built around the same time as Stonehenge, the purpose of which is still debated.
Many archaeologists agree that the sarsen stones (which are also the largest stones) near the center of Stonehenge were aligned with the solar cycle. The Heel Stone on the northeast end is one of the most significant of the sarsens—on the summer solstice, the Sun rises to its left, and the remains of another stone across from it suggest that the pair may have been intended to capture the sunrise between them. The winter solstice was welcomed by the Altar Stone, which has since fallen on its side.
Like Stonehenge, this newly-discovered wooden ritual site also appears to have been arranged in alignment with the Sun. And, potentially, both may have served as gathering places for locals and weary migrants. The new discovery suggests that henges may have been widespread social and ritual sites throughout Europe. Nielsen and Wåhlin now plan to excavate the site further and search for artifacts used for building or rituals, such as picks and arrowheads.
Archaeologists will also test for DNA to see if there is a genetic connection between the builders of the Aars site and the henges in England—some of the Jutes, who inhabited this region during the late Neolithic and early Bronze age, migrated to what is now Great Britain and may have contributed to both collections of sites.
'The excavation is a meticulous process and we are excited about the find,' Nielsen said in the press release. 'The timber circle is a window into the past, giving us an insight into the ceremonial and ritual activities of our ancestors.'
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