Everything we know about Stonehenge 'rewritten' after discovery near ancient site

Everything we know about Stonehenge 'rewritten' after discovery near ancient site A team of archaeologists has made a groundbreaking discovery near Stonehenge in Wiltshire that is rewriting everything we know about UK's most famous attraction. The ancient stones at Stonehenge stand as one of Britain's most celebrated tourist destinations, with thousands making pilgrimages annually from across the globe to visit the 'mystical' location. The summer solstice festivities on June 21 will witness droves of visitors descending upon the iconic Wiltshire monument to witness the astronomical spectacle of sunrise perfectly aligned behind the Heel Stone. Prior to the occasion, archaeologists from Wessex Archaeology under Phil Harding's leadership have revealed the unearthing of an ancient formation 5km from Stonehenge that could transform our understanding of the site and its surrounding ceremonial landscape. The archaeological squad has determined that this ancient formation may have functioned as an early 'blueprint' for the solstice alignment at Stonehenge - some 500 years before the celebrated stones we recognise today, reports the Express. The remarkable discovery This find - carbon dated to approximately 5,000 years ago - reveals proof of the earliest documented solstice alignment within the Stonehenge area, showing that prehistoric communities were employing this extraordinary astronomical engineering achievement to commemorate the solstice in the vicinity at least 500 years prior to the stone alignment at Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain. Just 5km from Stonehenge in Bulford, Wiltshire, the location dates to the same period as Stonehenge's earliest stage, when the original earthworks were built. Discovered as part of the MoD's Army Basing Programme, the location was most likely a central hub for important religious ceremonies, with compelling evidence of feasting and massive public assemblies, as communities came together to mark the solstices, much as they famously still do at Stonehenge today. Phil Harding, Archaeologist at Wessex Archaeology who spearheaded the dig, explains: "In a few days' time, Stonehenge will be filled with people celebrating midsummer solstice. "But what few will realise is that 5,000 years ago on a nearby hillside overlooking modern day Bulford, people were doing the exact same thing - revering and celebrating the sunrise on midsummer's day. The sun was incredibly important to these prehistoric communities, and they could plot and record its midsummer rising to a high degree of accuracy. "This discovery is probably one of the greatest finds of my career and what makes it so important is just how early it is. Up till now, our knowledge of this ancient feat of astronomy was based on Stonehenge and other monuments of a similar period, but what we've discovered at Bulford is 500 years earlier than the famous stones we know so well. It makes me incredibly proud to be an archaeologist." At the heart of this remarkable discovery was a structure featuring two wooden posts placed 120 metres apart, which ancient constructors positioned to point directly towards the sunrise during the summer solstice and the sunset during the winter solstice. Practically nothing survives of the structure today, apart from the holes where the posts once stood, which remain off-limits to the public. However, their solstice alignment was confirmed through research conducted for Wessex Archaeology by distinguished skyscape archaeologist Dr Fabio Silva, who employed reconstructions of the ancient sky, terrain, and horizon to show how the structure would have lined up with the solstices to within a single degree of precision at the time. This fairly simple construction would have functioned as a meeting point for ancient communities to observe the solstices before more permanent and sophisticated monuments could be built. Experts believe a similar structure may have existed during Stonehenge's earliest phase, though any traces would probably have been destroyed by later building work. The initial excavations at Bulford, undertaken between 2015 and 2017, revealed 48 pits that were radiocarbon dated to around 2950 BC. Finds included pottery, animal remains, worked flints and charcoal, suggesting that substantial numbers of people gathered here over a relatively short timespan to commemorate the solar cycle. One of the pits, potentially part of a 'viewing station', housed an extraordinarily rare disc-shaped knife, deliberately placed there, perhaps as a symbolic nod to the sun disc. Why the discovery changes everything Dr Matt Leivers, Senior Research Manager at Wessex Archaeology, explains: "The discovery at Bulford is fundamental because it's the earliest example of people building things here that aim directly at the solstice. When we talk about the solstice, we're talking about religion. About how prehistoric peoples understood the cosmos, the world, and their place in it. "What we see at Bulford, and later at Stonehenge, is a way of celebrating and marking the passage of time, but it's also about making sure the world keeps working as it should. It's likely their way of saying to their deities, please keep us in mind, keep us warm and safe. It's a religious event. That's why it's so important." Dr Fabio Silva, Skyscape Archaeologist at Stone x Sky and the Skyscape Academy, who conducted the analysis confirming the alignment, adds: "This discovery helps us understand Stonehenge not as a singular creation, but as part of a much longer conversation between people, the land, and the sky. "The alignment shows that communities were already engaging with both the summer and winter solstices in the Stonehenge landscape, centuries before the sarsen stones were raised. Rather than marking the beginning of a story, Stonehenge now more clearly appears to have emerged from traditions and practices with much deeper roots in this landscape." The ceremonial site was discovered during digs south of the Salisbury Plain Training Area in preparation for building work to house military personnel. Richard Osgood, Senior Archaeologist at the MoD's Defence Infrastructure Organisation, revealed: "When we started working on the necessary excavations ahead of the construction of new accommodation for soldiers returning from Germany, none of us could have guessed what we would find. "Following deeper study, what at first seemed innocuous has completely re-written our understanding of the ceremonial landscape around Stonehenge. It's incredibly exciting."