THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

‘Prototype’ Stonehenge unearthed a few miles from the world famous monument <p>'5,000 years ago on a nearby hillside... people were doing the exact same thing': New findings released ahead of summer solstice, when thousands are expected to gather at Stonehenge</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/prototype-stonehenge-unearthed-a-few-miles-from-the-world-famous-monument/">&#8216;Prototype&#8217; Stonehenge unearthed a few miles from the world famous monument</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com">The Times of Israel</a>.</p> <figure><img src="https://static-cdn.toi-media.com/www/uploads/2026/06/AP26168579925745-e1781750881670-1024x640.jpg" title="&#8216;Prototype&#8217; Stonehenge unearthed a few miles from the world famous monument" border="0" width="160" height="100" class="type:primaryImage"></figure>

Archaeologists unearth 5000-year-old 'prototype' for Stonehenge solstice ... The site a few miles from Stonehenge predates the famous stone circle by around 500 years, experts say. Archaeologists have discovered a 5,000-year-old structure that may have served as an early “prototype” for the alignment for the solstice at Stonehenge. A Wessex Archaeology team led by TV’s Time Team archaeologist Phil Harding has announced the discovery three miles from the world-famous stone circle, a few days before the summer solstice when thousands will flock to Stonehenge for the sunrise. The structure would have consisted of two wooden poles 120 metres apart that experts say were aligned to point directly at the rising sun during the summer solstice and the setting sun at the winter solstice. The structure predates the main stone circle monument at Stonehenge by around 500 years, and is the earliest known alignment with the solstice in the wider archaeology-rich landscape. The archaeologists said the site, which also turned up finds including pottery, animal bones, and a very rare disc-shaped knife, was likely to have been a focus for major religious gatherings. Dr Harding described the di…

In Ancient Pits Near Stonehenge, Scientists See Hints of Solstice Ritual British archaeologists may have found the remains of a site where people celebrated the solstice thousands of years ago, a few miles from the famed stone circle.

Archaeologists unearth 'prototype' for Stonehenge stones - RTÉ Updated / Thursday, 18 Jun 2026 00:01 Phil Harding and Matt Leivers at Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire Archaeologists have discovered a 5,000-year-old structure that may have served as an early "prototype" for the alignment for the solstice at Stonehenge. A Wessex Archaeology team led by TV's Time Team archaeologist Phil Harding has announced the discovery three miles from the world-famous stone circle, a few days before the summer solstice, when thousands will flock to Stonehenge for the sunrise. The structure would have consisted of two wooden poles 120 metres apart that experts said were aligned to point directly at the rising sun during the summer solstice and the setting sun at the winter solstice. The structure predates the main stone circle monument at Stonehenge by around 500 years, and is the earliest known alignment with the solstice in the wider archaeology-rich landscape. The archaeologists said the site, which also turned up finds including pottery, animal bones, and a very rare disc-shaped knife, was likely to have been a focus for major religious gatherings. Dr Harding described the discovery …

Archaeologists unearth 5,000-year-old ‘prototype’ for Stonehenge solstice stones By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments Experts say they have discovered a major site of religious gathering near to Stonehenge (Marijane Porter/Wessex Archaeology/PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Archaeologists have discovered a 5,000-year-old structure that may have served as an early “prototype” for the alignment for the solstice at Stonehenge. A Wessex Archaeology team led by TV’s Time Team archaeologist Phil Harding has announced the discovery three miles from the world-famous stone circle, a few days before the summer solstice when thousands will flock to Stonehenge for the sunrise. The structure would have consisted of two wooden poles 120 metres apart that experts say were aligned to point directly at the rising sun during the summer solstice and the setting sun at the winter solstice. Phil Harding led the team in the dig near Stonehenge (Wessex Archaeology/PA) The structure predates the main stone circle …

5,000-Year-Old Stonehenge Prototype Revealed Days Before The ... - Forbes Innovation Science 5,000-Year-Old Stonehenge Prototype Revealed Days Before The Solstice By Jamie Carter , Senior Contributor. Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. An award-winning reporter writing about stargazing and the night sky. Follow Author Jun 18, 2026, 10:03am EDT Jun 18, 2026, 02:46pm EDT --:-- / --:-- This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more . This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more . Summary A 5,000-year-old discovery near Bulford, Wiltshire, reveals what archaeologists believe is a Stonehenge prototype, predating its famous stone alignment by 500 years. Radiocarbon dated to 2950 B.C., the site features two wooden poles, 394 feet apart, precisely aligned with the summer and winter solstices. This is the earliest known evidence of such an alignment in the area, indicating sophisticated astronomical understanding by prehistoric communities. Excavations uncovered pits with pottery, bones, and a symbolic flint knife, suggesting large ceremonial gatherings. Experts say this shows Stonehenge emerged from deeper traditions of solar observation, a…

Archaeologists unearth 'prototype' of world-famous Stonehenge monument a few miles away | AP News This photo provided by Wessex Archaeology shows archaeologist Phil Harding standing at Stonehenge in May 2026, near Salisbury, England. (Wessex Archaeology via AP) LONDON (AP) — Archaeologists revealed Thursday that they have discovered a structure near the prehistoric stone circle ofStonehengein southern England that may have served as a “prototype” for the 5,000-year-old Neolithic monument. A team from the British firm Wessex Archaeology said the structure would have consisted of two wooden poles 120 meters (394 feet) apart and aligned to point directly at the rising sun during the summer solstice and the setting sun at the winter solstice. Researchers said the discovery predated Stonehenge by around 500 years. The team was led by archaeologist Phil Harding, who is well known in the U.K. through his many years of excavations for Channel 4 TV series “Time Team.” Harding, 76, said the site, which also turned up a treasure trove of finds including pottery, animal bones and a rare disc-shaped knife, was likely to have been a focus for major religious gatherings. “Opportunities lik…

Did humans observe the solstice at this site centuries before ... Two wooden posts sunk into a hillside three miles east of Stonehenge may have been the earliest known solar alignment on that landscape, scientists say. Five hundred years before Britain’s Neolithic farmers began celebrating summer solstice atStonehenge, new research suggests their ancestors may have been marking the same event at a wooden prototype erected on a hillside three miles or so east of where the world-famous trilithons stand today. “What we have here is the earliest known solar alignment on the Stonehenge landscape,” says Phil Harding, an archaeologist with Wessex Archaeology, who describes the find as the most exciting of his career. The announcement comes in the week when thousands gather once again at the 4,500-year-old stone circle to witness the midsummer sunrise. Unlike the elaborate stone monument we know today, this potential prototype Stonehenge, which overlooks the modern-day village of Bulford in Wiltshire, consisted simply of two massive upright wooden posts set in the ground some 400 feet apart and along a sightline pointing directly at the spot where the first rays of the midsummer sun wo…

Solstice-aligned 5,000-year-old monument ‘once in a lifetime find’, say archaeologists <p>Wessex Archaeology suspect they have uncovered a prototype for world-famous Stonehenge site in Wiltshire</p><p>A 5,000-year-old monument that was aligned with the summer and winter solstices and may have served as a prototype for the later solar alignment at Stonehenge has been discovered close to the famous neolithic site, in what archaeologists have described as a “once in a lifetime” find.</p><p>The structure at Bulford, 5km (3 miles) from the world heritage site in Wiltshire, has been carbon dated to around 3000BC, the same time as the earliest phase of construction at Stonehenge and 500 years before its huge trilithon stones were carefully placed to line up with the midsummer and midwinter sun.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jun/18/solstice-aligned-monument-archaeology-wiltshire-stonehenge-prototype">Continue reading...</a>

Archaeologists reveal possible Stonehenge prototype Archaeologists revealed Thursday that they have discovered a structure near the prehistoric stone circle of Stonehenge in southern England that may have served as a 'prototype” for...

'Prototype' of world-famous Stonehenge monument discovered just a few miles away <p>Archaeologists revealed Thursday that they have discovered a structure near Stonehenge that may have served as a “prototype” for the 5,000-year-old Neolithic monument.</p>

Archaeologists in Denmark Discover 4,000-Year-Old Circle of Wooden ... The circle was found during construction in a small town in northern Denmark. Vesthimmerlands Museum Researchers in northern Denmark have unearthed evidence of a mysterious circle of wooden posts dating back 4,000 years. They think it may be linked to Stonehenge , the famous Neolithic site in southern England. The circle was discovered during recent construction in the town of Aars. According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), the posts were placed about 6.5 feet apart, and they formed a circle measuring nearly 100 feet across. Archaeologists found evidence of 45 posts, though the circle may have once boasted more than 80. “This is an extraordinary find,” says Sidsel Wåhlin , a curator at the Vesthimmerland Museum in Aars, in a statement . “The timber circle provides valuable insights into the ritual practices and social structures of this internationally connected prehistoric society. It is a testament to the rich archaeological heritage of Denmark.” The circle was erected between 2600 and 1600 B.C.E., in the late Neolithic period or the early Bronze Age . Several similar discoveries from this period have been fou…