5,000-Year-Old Monument Aligned with Solstices Discovered Near Stonehenge

Archaeologists have discovered a 5,000-year-old monument near Stonehenge, believed to be a simpler "prototype" aligned with the solstices. Found in Bulford, the site consisted of two large wooden posts and predates Stonehenge's main stone circle by 500 years. The discovery, made during a dig for military housing, included Neolithic artifacts like a rare disc-shaped knife, suggesting it was a major religious gathering place for early farmers.

Bulford solstice monument discovery

• ▪The monument, found in Bulford, Wiltshire, 5km (3 miles) from Stonehenge, consisted of two wooden poles set 120 meters apart
• ▪Archaeologists discovered a 5,000-year-old monument near Stonehenge that may have served as a "prototype" for the famous site
• ▪The discovery was made during an archaeological dig ahead of the construction of new Ministry of Defence housing for troops

Archaeoastronomical alignment analysis

• ▪Archaeoastronomer Dr. Fabio Silva confirmed the alignment was accurate for the year 2950BC by reconstructing the ancient sky
• ▪The structure's two wooden posts were aligned with the sunrise on the summer solstice and the sunset on the winter solstice
• ▪At Stonehenge, the summer solstice sunrise aligns with the Heel Stone, while the winter solstice sunset aligns with an altar stone

Neolithic artefacts found

• ▪Artefacts found at the Bulford site include pottery, flint tools, animal bones, and an antler that would have been used for digging
• ▪A rare, disc-shaped (discoidal) flint knife, possibly symbolizing the sun, was found carefully placed in an upright position

Radiocarbon dating methods

• ▪Radiocarbon dating established the Bulford site is approximately 5,000 years old, dating to around 3000BC
• ▪The Bulford monument predates Stonehenge's main stone circle by about 500 years

Stonehenge construction timeline

• ▪The Bulford site dates to the same period as the earliest construction phase at Stonehenge, suggesting its builders may have gathered there
• ▪Stonehenge was built in stages, with its unique stone circle erected in the late Neolithic period around 2,500 B.C.

Winter solstice ritual importance

• ▪The site was likely a focus for major religious gatherings for Neolithic farmers, whose livelihoods were tied to the seasons
• ▪According to English Heritage, the winter solstice may have been more significant than the summer one for ancient communities
• ▪Matt Leivers of Wessex Archaeology said the discovery shows how Neolithic people understood their place in the cosmos and their religion