Stonehenge sits near the top of Britain’s most iconic landmarks, but a lesser-known precursor to this ancient site may be responsible for its lasting impact as an archaeological titan. The Flagstones site, a circular enclosure in Dorset, England, now predates Stonehenge according to new research, suggesting that it could possibly be the oldest structure of its kind in the country.
The study, recently published in Antiquity, has established that the circular enclosure of Flagstones was constructed around 3200 B.C.E, approximately two centuries earlier than previously thought. The revised date was attained from radiocarbon analysis of several materials at the site, including human remains, red deer antlers, and charcoal. The parallels between Flagstones and Stonehenge — both serving as burial grounds — have sparked discussions about the emergence of circular enclosures in ancient Britain, which may have taken inspiration from structures in neighboring Ireland.
