Science
Archaeologists examine 6,500-year-old circular sanctuary in Czech Republic
Researchers say the astronomical enclosure near Chleby predates Stonehenge by roughly 1,000 years and served ritual purposes before later becoming a settlement.
The short version
- Archaeologists from several Czech universities are excavating a prehistoric 230-meter circular enclosure near Chleby.
- Organic material dating indicates the structure is over 6,500 years old, with entrance alignments designed to track solar and lunar cycles.
- Excavations revealed ritual bull skulls, horns, and human remains in the enclosure's ditch.
- Researchers plan further chemical soil analyses to trace how the area's usage evolved across different prehistoric eras.
Key facts
- The circular enclosure near Chleby measures 230 meters across, includes a ditch exceeding 2.5 meters in depth, and has twelve entrances.[Hacker News]
- Dating of organic materials places the site's construction at more than 6,500 years ago, roughly 1,000 years earlier than Stonehenge.[Hacker News]
- The geometry of the enclosure's entrances corresponds with key astronomical events, including summer and winter solstices and the Moon's roughly 18-year cycle.[Hacker News]
- Artifacts and remains recovered from the ditch include bull horns and skulls, as well as a Bronze Age Únětice culture burial site holding about 18 individuals.[Hacker News]
- By the Iron Age, the site had lost its ritual function, the ditch was backfilled, and the location transitioned into a regular settlement.[Hacker News]
What remains uncertain
- The precise multi-period human activities at the enclosure remain under investigation pending upcoming chemical soil testing.[Hacker News]