Mysterious prehistoric stone circle discovered in the UK (Video)

In Castilly Henge, southwest England, archaeologists have discovered a strange stone circle. Its function remains to be determined.

Mysterious prehistoric stone circle discovered in the UK (Video)
© @historicengland
Mysterious prehistoric stone circle discovered in the UK (Video)

Stonehenge is not the only ancient stone structure that intrigues researchers. A few hundred kilometres to the west, not far from the town of Bodmin, a stone circle of a completely different nature has been discovered, as reported by Historic England. Like its cousin, Stonehenge, its purpose has not yet been determined.

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Castilly Henge: An ancient theatre

Like Stonehenge, Castilly Henge is ancient: it is estimated that this horseshoe-shaped architectural form was built around 3000 BC. According to scientists, this place had various functions. In the Middle Ages, it was used as a theatre or a place for rituals, while weapons were stored here during the English Civil War.

In short, the site had been known for a long time. But new excavation methods have revealed what has been hidden in the ground for years. Many volunteers have been involved in this work, as Historic England points out:

The help of the local volunteers has been invaluable in removing the bracken and scrub obscuring the henge. Over the winter, thirteen people gave 111 hours of their time and now the monument is looking so much better.

What is the purpose of this circle of stones?

The stones would have more or less followed the shape of the henge. In other words, they appeared in the shape of a horseshoe, but archaeologists believe that they may have once formed a complete circle.

But what were they used for? No one has the answer to that yet. The Guardian, which points out that not all henges have stone circles, says:

Some stones had been removed and taken elsewhere, while others were probably pushed face down into the pits in which they once stood upright.

Here is a new mystery that is likely to be the source of many far-fetched theories.

This article was translated from Gentside FR.

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