Thousands of years later, one of the most famous stone circles in Great Britain gave up its secrets to another object.
The hidden object was discovered under the largest rock in the Avebury feast. It consists of 12 large stones, each of which is three meters in diameter and weighs about 40 tons. They marked the location of a historically important structure dating back at least 2000 BC.
The Avebury complex contains about 100 huge standing stones located in a 330-meter circle. Most of the megalithic structures of this complex are circular, so the square arrangement of the last discovery makes it especially important. Like Stonehenge, Avebury Complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
According to Dr. Mark Gillings of the University of Leicester, the structure may represent one of the earliest structures on the prehistoric site.
“We found a number of prehistoric standing stones that were later hidden and buried along with other stones that were probably destroyed,” the scientist said. "Together they form a striking and seemingly unique square megalithic memorial in the circles of Avebury."
It is possible that stone circles were built as places for rituals and ceremonies, but later many of them were destroyed - probably in the Middle Ages due to associations with paganism.