A group of archaeologists claim they have discovered where the designers behind Stonehenge gathered when creating the famous landmark.
The team investigated an ancient meeting place found on army land at Larkhill near Stonehenge.
When there, they discovered an arrangement of posts that were mapped out similar to the design of Stonehenge, suggesting the area was used as a blueprint for the circle.
Team leader, Si Cleggett, of Wessex Archaeology, told the Guardian that the closeness of Larkhill to the stone circle – which are only a short walk apart – means it is likely that the nine posts were left by the people who created the temple.
A group of archaeologists claim they have discovered where the designers behind Stonehenge gathered when creating the famous landmark
The team investigated an ancient meeting place found on army land at Larkhill near Stonehenge
He said: ‘The causewayed enclosure at Larkhill was constructed during the late Stone Age, a period of transition when our ancestors gradually moved away from a mobile hunter-gatherer lifestyle and embraced a farming existence.
‘My contention is there is a fair chance the people who met at the causewayed enclosure could have been the architects of the Stonehenge landscape as we understand it. That nine post alignment could be an early blueprint for the laying out of the stones at Stonehenge.’
The exhibition at the site also showcases research which suggests animals were gathered all the way from northern Scotland to feed the builders at the Wiltshire base.
Archaeologists are at Larkhill as the land will shortly be used for military housing.
Stonehenge, built between 3000 BC and 1600 BC for reasons that remain mysterious, is one of Britain’s most popular tourist attractions.
Archaeologists are at Larkhill as the land will shortly be used for military housing
Many theories have been suggested as to the monument’s exact purpose.
Modern archaeologists generally agree it was some sort of prehistoric temple aligned to the movements of the sun.
It’s also a spiritual home for thousands of druids and mystics who visit at the summer and winter solstices.
Stonehenge was created in several stages, with the most important occurring around 2500BC, when the great sarsen blocks that form the main ring of the monument were erected.
The meeting place found at Larkhill was built between 3,750 and 3,650BC, believe the archaeologist team.