Emily Chan
In England, an ancient stone circle may have been created about 700 years before the Stonehenge monument.
There are hundreds of examples across the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, but the Castlerigg stone circle is thought to be one of the oldest constructions ever discovered.
The Castlerigg stone circle is located in the northwestern county of Cumbria in the Lake District National Park.
It was one of the first prehistoric monuments in the country to receive protection under the state, which occurred in 1883.
The Lake District National Park and the surrounding area in Cumbria have been known for containing over 80 stone circles.
Previous research has found that the Castlerigg stone circle was built around 3000 B.C. or slightly earlier.
However, an archaeologist named Steve Dickinson recently was able to shed new light on the monument’s age. He believes that part of the stone circle called the “Sanctuary,” was constructed around 3700 B.C.
The Sanctuary consists of a rectangle of large boulders that measure approximately 23 feet by 15 feet.
The northern side of the rectangle has an entrance that is roughly six feet in width. The Sanctuary’s purpose is unclear, but it is very similar to many small timber structures from the early Neolithic period that were uncovered in Ireland.
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