Researchers say a circular prehistoric sanctuary in the Czech Republic is more than 6,500 years old, about 1,000 years older than Stonehenge. Its 230-meter-diameter enclosure has 12 entrances researchers say align with key solar and lunar cycles.
Researchers identified two observation points: one connects summer-solstice sunrise with winter-solstice sunset; the other corresponds to the Moon’s extreme positions on the horizon during its roughly 18-year cycle. A similar arrangement appears along Stonehenge’s main axis.
Earlier excavations found the remains of about 18 people in the ditch, later identified as a Bronze Age Únětice culture burial. Researchers say the monument appears to have lost its original significance by the Iron Age, when the ditch was gradually filled and a settlement established. The team will now analyze soil to learn how the site was used in different periods.
