‘This was a pioneering achievement’: Stone Age people put up posts to observe the solstices near Stonehenge long before the stones of sacred site were placed
Evidence of two ancient wooden pillars corresponding to the summer and winter solstices have been discovered nearby stonehenge In south-west England. The posts have decayed and only traces of postholes remain. But archaeologists say the structure predates Stonehenge, and they believe it was a temporary religious monument until a permanent monument could be built. They also suggest that it may be a Stonehenge prototype.
Analysis shows that ancient people used positions to mark the summer and winter solstices, Phil HardingAn archaeologist from Wessex Archaeology, which is leading the project, said at a press conference on Wednesday (June 17).
“These people were able to establish the points on the horizon where the sun rises in mid-summer and sets in mid-winter,” he said. “It was a pioneering achievement.” (The 2026 summer solstice Will be celebrated at Stonehenge on 21 June.)
Harding’s team at Wessex Archaeology, a private firm that often works for the government and local authorities, announced the discovery publicly in the UK on 18 June, and a report on their research will be peer-reviewed and published. The ancient monument consisted of two large, wooden pillars about 400 feet (120 m) apart, on land near the village of Bulford, a few miles east of Stonehenge.
The land is now controlled by the UK Ministry of Defence, but archaeologists have been allowed to excavate there since 2015. They found traces of the first two “henges” – rings of earthwork ditches and banks – and dozens of Neolithic pits dating back about 5,000 years, centuries before Stonehenge was completed. The pits were filled with animal bones, pottery, flint, and charcoal, and researchers believe they date from the time when the first phase of Stonehenge was being built.
solstice alignment
According to a statement from Wessex Archaeology, the posts were aligned to point along an axis that marked the direction of sunrise on the summer solstice, or “midsummer day”, and exactly six months later, the setting of the sun on the winter solstice, or “midwinter day”. The same astronomical alignment is seen at Stonehenge.
Animal bones and other traces of feasting in the Bulford pits are evidence of the gathering of large numbers of people for religious festivals. (Characteristics of ancient banquet Also found at Stonehenge.)
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“When we talk about Sankranti, we are talking about religion,” matt liversAn archaeologist from Wessex Archeology and one of the researchers said in the statement. “What we see at Bulford and later at Stonehenge is a way of celebrating and marking the passage of time, but it is also about making sure the world continues to work as it should.”
Archaeologists Phil Harding (left) and Matt Leavers lead excavations at the Bulford site, a few miles east of Stonehenge.
(Image credit: Wessex Archeology)
The site predates the largest circle of stones at Stonehenge, which has a similar alignment. “What we discovered at Bulford is 500 years older than the famous stones we know so well,” Harding said. Researchers also suggest that the Bulford monument may have been a type of prototype for Stonehenge.
ancient stone
Stonehenge is the world’s most famous Neolithic monument, but its original purpose was long a mystery. Archaeological investigations have shown that the first earthworks there were begun about 5,000 years ago, and the famous central stones were added about 500 years later.
Recent discoveries at Stonehenge include Evidence of ancient cremationAnd many archaeologists now think that the monument was originally a burial site. If this is the case, the alignment with sunset on the winter solstice may represent “new life”, as the days become longer and warmer after the depths of winter. However, no human remains have been found at the Bulford site.
susan grainyAn archaeologist at the University of Exeter, who was not involved in the research, said the new discovery shows the importance of the area to prehistoric people. “It’s interesting to think that simple posts were built here to align with the solstices about 500 years before Stonehenge was built,” he told Live Science.
The Bulford Monument may have been a temporary “model” for Stonehenge, Amanda ChadburnAn independent archaeologist who was not involved in the research told Live Science, “If you were designing a very complex piece of engineering like Stonehenge,” she said, “you would have to understand how to build it before you even start.”
