Henge Monument and Mysterious Burials Uncovered in England

By Megan Gannon, Live Science Contributor | May 26, 2017 10:48am ET

- click for image -

https://img.purch.com/h/1400/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5saXZlc2NpZW5jZS5jb20vaW1hZ2VzL2kvMDAwLzA5Mi82NTMvb3JpZ2luYWwvSGVuZ2UtYW5kLXBlb3BsZS13ZWJzaXRlLmpwZw==

Archaeologists in England discovered a Neolithic earthwork and burial site that could date back to 2000 B.C.
Credit: Archaeology Warwickshire




A 4,000-year-old henge monument, containing five well-preserved human burials, has been discovered in England, archaeologists announced.

This Neolithic earthwork was found in Newbold-on-Stour, in Warwickshire County, this spring, ahead of the construction of houses. Developers in England often need to conduct an archaeological assessment of the land they want to build on. And when a geophysical survey revealed that there could be a henge at this site, a team from Archaeology Warwickshire started digging.

The archaeologists announced this week that they found a simple monument that consists of a circular ditch dug in segments and an embankment created from that dug-out soil. They also found five bodies buried within the monument. [See Photos of the Newfound Henge and Burials]

Hundreds of henge monuments are scattered across the British Isles. Some, like Stonehenge, consist of giant, standing megaliths arranged in circles. Others, like Woodhenge, once had timber structures, though postholes are all that remains. These henge monuments also vary in size; two years ago, archaeologists using remote-sensing technologies discovered the remains of a henge 15 times the size of Stonehenge.

Archaeologists still debate the purpose and the origin of henges, but researchers know that the earthworks started showing up in the British Isles in the third and early second millennia B.C. Most of these monuments contain no traces of everyday activity, and some feature burials or are aligned with cosmic phenomena. So, some researchers believe henges must have had some sort of ceremonial or ritual significance.

More:
http://www.livescience.com/59276-henge-monument-and-burials-uncovered-england.html?utm_source=notification