Audrey? small village in Pomerania, northern Poland. This place is famous for being home to the second largest cluster of cromlechs (stone circles) in Europe. There are also 600 Neolithic graves.
Audrey is located in a picturesque wooded area along the Vda River. For centuries, such places in Poland were destroyed. The most serious destruction occurred in the 19th century, when peasants destroyed ancient burial mounds, cromlechs and other structures of the Neolithic era in order to clear fields for agricultural work. Almost all of the Neolithic monuments that have survived to this day are located in forests.
Forgotten Neolithic Monument
Audrey was first studied in the second half of the 19th century by two amateur archaeologists? Wilhelm Strizhkovsky and Abraham Lissauer. They concluded that the structures date back to the Neolithic era.
According to Josef Kostrzewski of the University of Poznan, the cromlechs belong to the 1st or 2nd century. BC, but this dating may be incorrect. Other scholars believe that the stone structures are several centuries older. Michal Pavleta from the University. Adam Mickiewicz writes in Poznan: “The interpretation of the past among archaeologists has not always remained unchanged. This is especially true for selected archaeological sites. Scientists have never reached an agreement on the dating issue. At the beginning of the 20th century, some archaeologists associated them with the religions of the Neolithic era and dated them to the 3rd-2nd centuries. BC. Others argued that it was a legacy of the Wielbari culture of the 1st or 3rd century AD. e. Archaeologists today agree that they belong to the era of Roman influence. The nationality of the builders is still unknown. Polish archaeologist Josef Kostrzewski in the 30s of the XX century argued thatthat these are Slavic burial grounds I-III AD. e., which were then used by the Goths."
Paul Stefan believed that the central four circles were associated with the solstice and the structures were used for astronomical purposes. By the location of the planets, he determined that the structures were built in the VIII century. BC. According to some modern scholars, his calculations were wrong.
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Nazi shrine
Subsequently, Stephan's interpretation was used by Nazi archaeologists to explain the origin of Pomerania. Nazi leaders were interested in the occult and magic. They collected an impressive collection of books on this topic and looked for places with a special energy.
Heinrich Himmler believed that ancient occult knowledge would help the Nazis rule the world. He was fascinated by the theory of pagan religion developed by Margaret Murray. He believed that black magic had a scientific basis, and over time, he became obsessed with the search for occult artifacts. Himmler hoped that the pagan religion of the Germans would give him what he wanted. But pagan beliefs were not enough: the Nazis developed their own distorted neo-pagan religion.
During the Second World War, the Nazis said that circles in Audrey? this is proof that the Germans have inhabited Pomerania since ancient times. The German soldiers who occupied the territory were ordered to put the archaeological site in order and place the scattered stones in their places.
Open questions
Archaeologists are still struggling with the question of why the ancient builders created such a huge burial in the middle of stone circles. It is almost impossible to determine their age. It is reliably known that Goths lived in this area, but there is no information about more ancient history.
In 1963, the historian and astronomer Jezy Dobrzycki proved that Stefan's dating was wrong. The site was explored in the 60s, 70s and 80s. The researchers studied 10 cromlechs in the area, but there are probably more. In the neighboring area, 29 mounds were discovered. It is known that there are at least 602 graves in Audrey alone.
Energy of the cromlechs
Today, the places where the cromlechs are located are popular. People who go in for kayaking come here to relax. Tourists who visited the site say they felt a calming energy. Many people report the special energy around Neolithic structures.
Audrey still has many secrets. Recent studies using satellite photos have shown that the mounds and cromlechs occupy a much larger area than previously thought. What other discoveries do scientists have to make?
