Archaeologists say they have strong evidence that a vast circle of giant pits near Stonehenge was deliberately dug by Neolithic people, ending years of debate over whether the features were natural.
The structure, known as the Durrington pit circle, is thought to consist of around 20 massive pits spread over more than a mile, with sites such as Durrington Walls and Woodhenge at its centre. Some pits measure up to 10 metres wide and 5 metres deep, suggesting significant planning and engineering skill.
To avoid large-scale excavation, researchers used a combination of advanced techniques, including ground-penetrating radar, magnetometry, electrical resistance scanning and sediment core sampling. They also applied optically stimulated luminescence dating and environmental DNA testing to analyse soil layers.
These methods revealed repeating, artificial patterns across the site, convincing the team the pits could not have formed naturally. The researchers believe the monument dates back more than 4,000 years and may have been linked to ancient beliefs about an underworld.
The findings have been published in the journal Internet Archaeology, with the team calling the discovery one of the most extraordinary prehistoric structures in Britain.
