A 4,000-year-old monument has been unearthed in England containing five well-preserved human graves. This neolithic work of human hands was found this spring at Newbold-on-Store, in Warwickshire, in an area where construction of houses was soon to begin. In many cases, builders in England must conduct an archaeological assessment of the land they wish to use for development. Geophysical surveys indicated that a henge could be at the site, so a team of archaeologists from Warwickshire began excavating.
Earthen structure
Archaeologists announced their find last week. It is a simple monument that consists of a circular ditch and an embankment created from excavated soil. They also found five bodies buried within the site.
There are hundreds of such earthworks scattered throughout the British Isles. Some of them, for example, Stonehenge, consist of giant megaliths arranged in a circle. Others, like Woodhenge, were once poorly preserved wooden structures. Henge monuments also vary in size. For example, two years ago, archaeologists, using remote sensing technology, discovered the remains of such a structure, which is 15 times the size of Stonehenge.
Why were such monuments created?
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Archaeologists still cannot agree on the purpose of the creation of the henge and their origin. Nevertheless, researchers know for sure that excavation work began in the British Isles in the third and early second millennia BC. Most of these monuments do not contain any traces of daily activity, but some of them are decorated with drawings, while others have been aligned according to certain cosmic phenomena. This allowed researchers to speculate that some henji must have some sort of ceremonial or ritual significance.
Unfortunately, archaeologists have not been able to determine what rituals or events could take place in the center of the monument. Nonetheless, Nigel Page, the head of the archaeological project in Warwickshire, said that he and his colleagues intend to explore the possible connections of this new henge with events such as sunrises or sunsets.
Age of henge
Researchers say the newly discovered site dates from the late Neolithic period (circa 2000 BC). Later, they will be able to clarify this date by examining the human remains that were found within the monument. Also, one should not deny the possibility that these graves appeared much later than the structure itself. For example, a henge could have been chosen as a suitable burial site because it has played the role of an important monument for a long time.
Burial
Archaeologists report that none of the graves covers the other. Three middle burials are facing west, and two more, located on the outer part of the monument, are facing east. Archaeologists say this location seems deliberate. It is possible that the deceased were part of the same group or members of the same family.
The skeletons are pretty well preserved, so the researchers say that scientific tests performed on the bones can determine how these people were related to the area and whether they were relatives.
Search for traces
In addition to human burials, archaeologists were able to find only fragments of horns. However, they are going to test soil samples from different burials, as there is a chance to find microscopic pieces of charred plant remains, pollen, tools and other features that allow you to learn more about these people and why they were buried near the monument.
The discovered structure is not the only henge in the region that has been discovered recently. For example, in a nearby town, four similar monuments were discovered, which contain the cremated remains of at least 11 people.
Anna Pismenna