An enormous, ancient burial ground was uncovered within spitting distance of the mysterious Stonehenge site in Britain, according to a news release published in late May.
A huge barrow cemetery was uncovered during a new residential housing development’s construction in Wiltshire, home of the Stonehenge site, according to Cotswolds Archaeology. Barrow burials are considered to be part of the Neolithic norm during the Early Bronze Age (2400 BC to 1500 BC).
Despite having been leveled over millennia of human development, the site retained 10 burials and three un-urned cremations, the research team noted. The site sounds highly complex, with multiple burials and more thought to be laying beneath the sprawling landscape.
If you’re as blown away by the Netherhampton #BronzeAge barrow cemetery as we are, come to our next #webinar, Wednesday 19th July at 7.15pm, where the team will explain the site and what we know so far. Register here: https://t.co/SFg11GnvNh #Archaeology #ArchaeologyForAll pic.twitter.com/BW0DboGZt0
— Cotswold Archaeology (@CotswoldArch) June 15, 2023
In the middle of the oval-shaped barrow was a mass grave filled with the remains of adults and children, a rarity in the region. No goods were unearthed during the find, leaving the potential dating of the site up to the highly dubious carbon-dating method.
It’s believed the site was likely constructed around the same time Stonehenge was in development. The mysterious, megalithic site sits just 10 miles down the road from the newly discovered barrows, so was likely part of the same sprawling civilization that inhabited the region.
Due to limited data, it’s unclear how the two structures were related. But some researchers have suggested Stonehenge is a burial site, according to LiveScience. (RELATED: Life-Size Hercules Statue Discovered In Ancient Italian Sewer System)
Images shared of the site show the circular barrows’ remarkably accurate design. It is still unclear how or why our ancestors went to such great lengths to build mathematically aligned sites.