All posts by Archaeology World Team

There are carvings found in the Angkor Wat temples that seem to resemble dinosaurs.

There are carvings found in the Angkor Wat temples that seem to resemble dinosaurs.

By the time that our ape ancestors split from the line that would produce chimpanzees, which happened about 4 million to 7 million years ago, non-avian dinosaurs had been extinct for more than 58 million years.

Birds, the descendants of one group of small theropod dinosaurs, are the only dinosaurs that survived the end-Cretaceous mass extinction. There are a number of people who reject the scientific view, however, and insist that humans and dinosaurs once lived together within the last 10,000 years or so.

These “young Earth creationists” twist Biblical passages to support their view that Tyrannosaurus rex lived peacefully in the Garden of Eden. They also supplement their beliefs with some rather spurious evidence—like a carving found on a Cambodian temple.

The famous ‘Tomb Raider’ doorway, Ta Prohm Temple, Angkor, Cambodia.

It is not known precisely when the carving was first noticed, but during the past several years, creationist groups have been a-twitter about a supposed carving of a Stegosaurus on the popular Ta Prohm temple in Cambodia. (The story recently reappeared on the “All News Web” site, an internet tabloid that specializes in tales of UFOs and other humbugs.) Since the temple was built around the end of the 12th century, some take this bas relief to suggest that Stegosaurus, or something Stegosaurus-like, survived until a few hundred years ago.

While certainly not proving their view that dinosaurs and humans were created together less than 10,000 years ago, it is consistent with their beliefs and is a favorite piece of evidence among creationists.

There is a substantial problem, however. Not only does creationism distort nature to fit a narrow theological view, but there is also no evidence that the carving in question is of a dinosaur.

If you look at the carving quickly and at an angle, yes, it does superficially look like a Stegosaurus than a kindergartener made out of play-doh.

As anyone who has spent time watching the clouds go by knows, though, an active imagination can turn something plain into something fantastic. If viewed directly, the carving hardly looks Stegosaurus-like at all. The head is large and appears to have large ears and a horn.

The Ta Prohm ‘dinosaur’.

The “plates” along the back more closely resemble leaves, and the sculpture is a better match for a boar or rhinoceros against a leafy background.

Even so, the sculpture only vaguely looks like a rhino or boar. We can be certain that it is not a representation of a living Stegosaurus, but could it be a more recent attempt at depicting a dinosaur? Indeed, it is quite possible that this carving has been fabricated.

There are many sculptures at the temple, and the origin of the carving in question is unknown. There are rumors that it was created recently, perhaps by a visiting movie crew (the temple is a favorite locale for filmmakers), and it is possible that someone created something Stegosaurus-like during the past few years as a joke.

Either way, the temple carving can in no way be used as evidence that humans and non-avian dinosaurs coexisted.

The Ta Prohm ‘dinosaur’ amongst other carvings.

Fossils have inspired some myths (see Adrienne Mayor’s excellent book The First Fossil Hunters), but close scrutiny of geological layers, reliable radiometric dating techniques, the lack of dinosaur fossils in strata younger than the Cretaceous, and other lines of evidence all confirm that non-avian dinosaurs became extinct tens of millions of years before there was any type of culture that could have recorded what they looked like.

As scientist Carl Sagan said, “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence”, and in the case of modern dinosaurs the evidence just isn’t there.

Exquisite 2,000-year-old sapphire ring thought to have belonged to Roman Emperor Caligula

Exquisite 2,000-year-old sapphire ring thought to have belonged to Roman Emperor Caligula

The Roman emperor Caligula, who had been governing for four years from AD 37 until his assassination, was said to own an exquisite 2,000-year-old ring of Sapphire.

Mysterious beautiful face engraved on a 2,000-year-old sapphire ring of the Roman emperor. The 2,000-year-old ring is believed to be from the Roman emperor Caligula.

The sky blue hololith, made from a single piece of the precious stone, is believed to have been owned by Caligula. The face engraved into the bezel is thought to be his fourth and last wife Caesonia, who was said to be so beautiful Caligula paraded her naked in front of his friends.

The reason for Caligula’s assassination could stem from the extravagance of spending, especially on precious stones, which depleted the Roman treasury.

There are even rumors that Caligula also incestuous relationships with sisters in the royal family and adultery with the wives of allies.

Worth mentioning, this ancient sapphire ring has a woman’s face engraved on it. According to the Daily Mail, this woman is Caesonia, Caligula’s fourth wife.

Caesonia possesses the beauty of tilting the water, tilting the city. Emperor Caligula even once naked his wife and march in front of friends for people to admire. However, “beautiful fate”, Caesonia was killed shortly after Emperor Caligula was assassinated.

The sapphire ring is said to have attracted attention during an exhibition of more than 100 gems held by jewelry company Wartski next week in London, England. Its value is about USD 7,000 – USD 750,000.

The auction became a major concern for gem collectors around the world. People from Japan even lined up outside Wartski’s premises days before the exhibition was first approved.

Mysterious beautiful face engraved on a 2,000-year-old sapphire ring of the Roman emperor. Close-up of the beautiful face engraved on the “Caligula ring”.

The “Caligula Ring” is in the Earl Marlund Gems “Marlborough Gems” from 1637 to 1762. This is a collection of 800 gems carved by George Spencer, the 4th earl of Marlborough, into the late 18th century, early 19th century.

They were sold in 1875 by John Winston Spencer-Churchill, 7th Earl of Marlborough, to fund the repair of the Blenheim Palace.

“This ring is one of the precious pieces of the” Marlborough Gems “collection. It is made entirely of sapphire. Very few of these rings still exist and I bet this is the best one of you. find.

We believe it belongs to Emperor Caligula and the face that appears on the ring is his fourth wife, Caesonia, “said Kieran McCarthy, director of Wartski.

Homo erectus Fossils and Tools Unearthed in Ethiopia

Homo erectus Fossils and Tools Unearthed in Ethiopia

Africa’s smallest Homo erectus cranium and the various stone tools discovered in Gona, Ethiopia, indicate that human ancestors were more varied, both physically and behaviorally, than previously known.

A Cranium was discovered by an international study team headed by the U.S. and Spanish scientists, including a Michigan geologist university, An almost complete hominin cranium is estimated to 1.5 million years, and a partial cranium dated to 1.26 million years ago, from the Gona study area, in the Afar State of Ethiopia discovered by international study team.

All cranies that are assigned to Homo erectus were associated with simple Oldowan-type (Mode 1) and more complex Acheulian (Mode 2) stone tool assemblages. This suggests that H. Erectus had a degree of cultural/behavioral plasticity that has yet to be fully understood.

The team was led by Sileshi Semaw of CENIEH (Centro Nacional de Investigación Sobre la Evolución Humana) in Spain and Michael Rogers of Southern Connecticut State University. U-M geologist Naomi Levin coordinated the geological work to determine the age of the fossils and their environmental context.

The nearly complete cranium was discovered at Dana Aoule North (DAN5), and the partial cranium at Busidima North (BSN12), sites that are 5.7 kilometers apart. The research team has been investigating the Gona deposits since 1999, and the BSN12 partial cranium was discovered by N. Toth of Indiana University during the first season.

The DAN5 cranium was found a year later by the late Ibrahim Habib, a local Afar colleague, on a camel trail. The BSN12 partial cranium is robust and large, while the DAN5 cranium is smaller and more gracile, suggesting that H. Erectus was probably a sexually dimorphic species. Remarkably, the DAN5 cranium has the smallest endocranial volume documented for H. Erectus in Africa, about 590 cubic centimeters, probably representing a female.

The DAN5 cranium, top/front view.

The smallest Homo erectus cranium in Africa, and the diverse stone tools found at Gona, show that human ancestors were more varied, both physically and behaviorally, than previously known, according to the researchers.

This physical diversity is mirrored by the stone tool technologies exhibited by the artifacts found in association with both crania. Instead of only finding the expected large handaxes or picks, signature tools of H. Erectus, the Gona team found both well-made handaxes and plenty of less-complex Oldowan tools and cores.

The toolmakers at both sites lived in close proximity to ancient rivers, in settings with riverine woodlands adjacent to open habitats. The low d13C isotope value from the DAN5 cranium is consistent with a diet dominated by C3 plants (trees and shrubs, and/or animals that ate food from trees or shrubs) or, alternatively, broad-spectrum omnivory.

GoogleEarth Map of the Gona study area, showing locations of BSN12 and DAN5.

The ages of the fossils and the associated artifacts were constrained using a variety of techniques: standard field mapping and stratigraphy, as well as analyses of the magnetic properties of the sediments, the chemistry of volcanic ashes, and the distribution of argon isotopes in volcanic ashes.

“Constraining the age of these sites proved particularly challenging, requiring multiple experts using a range of techniques over several years of fieldwork,” said Levin, an associate professor in the U-M Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and in the Program in the Environment.

“This is a great example of scientific detective work and how science gets done, drawing on a community of scholars and their collective knowledge of the geology of eastern Africa,” said Levin, who co-directs an isotope geochemistry lab that conducts studies of ancient environments using carbon and oxygen isotopes.

Along with the University of Arizona geologist Jay Quade, Levin also coordinated the environmental reconstruction of the Gona sites. At the Gona study area in Ethiopia’s Afar State, H. Erectus used locally available stone cobbles to make their tools, which were accessed from nearby riverbeds. Fossil fauna was abundant at the BSN12 site, but cut marks or hammerstone-percussed bones were not identified.

At the DAN5 site, an elephant toe bone was found with stone tool cut marks, and a small antelope leg bone had a percussion notch, implying that H. Erectus butchered both large and small mammals, though it is not clear whether they hunted or scavenged their prey.

Acheulian stone tools/Michael J. Rogers

There is a common view that early Homo (e.g., Homo habilis) invented the first simple (Oldowan) stone tools, but when H. erectus appeared about 1.8 to 1.7 million years ago, a new stone tool technology called the Acheulian, with purposefully shaped large cutting tools such as handaxes, emerged in Africa.

The timing, causes, and nature of this significant transition to the Acheulian by about 1.7 million years ago is not entirely clear, though, and is an issue debated by archaeologists. The authors of the Science Advances paper said their investigations at DAN5 and BSN12 have clearly shown that Oldowan technology persisted much longer after the invention of the Acheulian, indicative of particular behavioral flexibility and cultural complexity practiced by H. Erectus, a trait not fully understood or appreciated in paleoanthropology.

“Although most researchers in the field consider the Acheulian to have replaced the earlier Oldowan (Mode 1) by 1.7 Ma, our research has shown that Mode 1 technology actually remained ubiquitous throughout the entire Paleolithic,” Semaw said.

“The simple view that a single hominin species is responsible for a single stone tool technology is not supported,” Rogers said. “The human evolutionary story is more complicated.” The DAN5 and BSN12 sites at Gona are among the earliest examples of H. Erectus associated with both Oldowan and Acheulian stone assemblages.

“In the almost 130 years since its initial discovery in Java, H. Erectus has been recovered from many sites across Eurasia and Africa. The new remains from the Gona study area exhibit a degree of biological diversity in Africa that had not been seen previously, notably the small size of the DAN5 cranium,” said study co-author Scott Simpson of Case Western Reserve University.

“The BSN12 partial cranium also provides evidence linking the African and eastern Asian fossils, demonstrating how successful Homo erectus was.”

In Africa, some argue that multiple hominin species may have been responsible for the two distinct contemporary stone technologies, Oldowan and Acheulian. On the contrary, the evidence from Gona suggests a lengthy and concurrent use of both Oldowan and Acheulian technologies by a single long-lived species, H. Erectus, the variable expression of which deserves continued research, according to the researchers.

“One challenge in the future will be to understand better the stone tool attributes that are likely to be passed on through cultural tradition versus others that are more likely to be reinvented by different hominin groups,” Rogers said.

Experts amazed after ‘incredibly rare’ Roman artifact found in Lincolnshire field

Experts amazed after ‘incredibly rare’ Roman artifact found in Lincolnshire field

Over recent years, metal detectorists have made a wonderful collection of historical discoveries. In the UK a detector has discovered in a plowed field a very rare and beautiful Roman Brooch. It is only the second of its kind to have even been found in the country.

The search was carried out on a field in Lincolnshire, East England, near the village of Leasingham.

Jason Price, 48, is a former member of the British military. He was participating in an event called ‘Detecting for Veterans’ according to the Sleaford Standard. This was a charity event, to raise funds for veterans and took place in the summer of 2019.

On the last day of the event, Mr. Price found the Roman brooch. “It was the last field of the weekend and it was heavily plowed – so I didn’t hold out much hope of finding anything”. Suddenly his detector starting buzzing and the excitement of a potential find mounted.

Mr. Price found the Roman brooch on the last day of the event. The Daily Mail quotes him as saying that, “It was the last field of the weekend and it was heavily plowed – so I didn’t hold out much hope of finding anything”. Suddenly his detector starting buzzing and the excitement of a potential find mounted.

The Roman brooch was discovered by a metal detectorist in a plowed field.

He started to dig carefully and some 8 inches (20 centimeters) in the earth he found something he thought was only a piece of junk. Mr. Price told the Sleaford Standard that “At first I thought it was a piece of litter, but as I cleaned it off, my jaw dropped open. There it was – a horse brooch. I was shaking”.

The Roman brooch is 2 inches (5 centimeters) long and in near perfect condition.

The veteran knew he had found something remarkable. In the past, he has unearthed several items including some coins. As required by law, Mr. Price notified the relevant authorities about his find.

The Daily Mail quotes Lisa Brundle, who oversees such finds for the local Lincolnshire County Council, as saying “This brooch is an exciting and rare discovery”. There is only one other known to have been found in Britain and it is currently held at the world-famous British Museum.

A preliminary analysis of the brooch indicated that it was made of a copper alloy and probably dated to 200-400 AD when Britain was a province of the Roman Empire. The Roman brooch is in remarkably good condition and it still has its original pin attached.

It is approximately 2 inches (5 centimeters) long and weighs about 0.80 of an ounce (23 grams). It depicts the horse in great detail and even shows it with a saddle. Originally the horse would have had a gold finish and many of its details would have been enameled with bright colors.

Various views of the Roman brooch.

The brooch is considered to be somewhat more detailed than the one found in the British Museum. It is also decorated somewhat differently. Ms. Bundle told The Times that the Roman brooch “is in a league of its own”. The artifact has been called the ‘Leasingham Horse’ after the location where it was found.

Such a brooch was probably worn by a Romano-Britain of some social standing as it would have been quite valuable. This item would have been most likely pinned to a robe. Ms. Bundle told The Daily Mail that “It would have been a spectacular sight on someone’s robe”.

This item would have been something of a status symbol. The gender of those who would have worn the item is not known, but the horse design may mean that it was worn by a male.

How the item came to be buried in the field is something of a mystery. It may have been lost or deliberately buried during one of the many raids by barbarians on Roman Britain. Mr. Price is not going to cash in on his amazing discovery.

According to The Daily Mail, “the brooch has been sent out on a permanent loan by Mr. Price to the Collection Museum in Lincolnshire”. The item will undoubtedly become a very popular attraction with local people and visitors alike.

Ruins of a 3000-year-old Armenian castle found in Lake Van – Turkey

Ruins of a 3000-year-old Armenian castle found in Lake Van – Turkey

The 3,000-year-old remains of an ancient fortification have been discovered at the bottom of Turkey’s largest lake. The underwater excavations were led by Van Yüzüncü Yıl University and the governorship of Turkey’s eastern Bitlis Province.

The castle is said to belong to the Iron Age Armenian civilization also known as the Kingdom of Van, Urartu, Ararat and Armenia. The lake itself is believed to have been formed by a crater caused by a volcanic eruption of Mount Nemrut near the province of Van. The current water level of the reservoir is about 150 meters higher than it was during the Iron Age.

Divers exploring Lake Van discovered the incredibly well-preserved wall of a castle, thought to have been built by the Urartu civilization. Experts had been studying the body of water for a decade before it revealed the fortress lost deep below its surface.

The 3,000-year-old remains of an ancient fortification have been discovered at the bottom of Turkey’s largest lake. Divers exploring Lake Van discovered the incredibly well-preserved wall of a castle, thought to have been built by the Urartu civilization

Map of historic Armenian with Lake Van at its center.

Secret Passage Discovered in London’s House of Commons

Secret doorway in Parliament leads to a historical treasure trove

Renovation workers have uncovered a forgotten passageway in the UK’s Houses of Parliament. Built over 1,000 years ago, the historic seat of government in central London has seen kings and queens, prime ministers and foreign dignitaries come and go time and again over the centuries.

While it might seem as though all of the building’s secrets would have been found by now, this week there was a surprise in store when renovation workers uncovered a secret door leading to a hidden passageway that dates back over 360 years.

Believed to have been originally built for the coronation of Charles II in 1660, the passageway would have enabled guests to attend a celebratory banquet in the neighboring Westminster Hall. It went on to be used by countless MPs before eventually being blocked up and concealed. It was even rediscovered briefly in the 1950s before being sealed up again.

“To say we were surprised is an understatement – we really thought it had been walled-up forever after the war,” said Mark Collins, Parliament’s Estates Historian.

Liz Hallam Smith, the historical consultant to Parliament’s architecture and heritage team, said: “I was awestruck because it shows that the Palace of Westminster still has so many secrets to give up. “It is the way that the Speaker’s procession would have come, on its way to the House of Commons, as well as many MPs over the centuries, so it’s a hugely historic space.”

The current occupant of the Speaker’s chair, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, said: “To think that this walkway has been used by so many important people over the centuries is incredible. I am so proud of our staff for making this discovery.”

A brass plaque, erected in Westminster Hall in 1895, marks the spot where the doorway once was but, says Dr. Hallam Smith, “almost nothing was known about it”. It lay behind thick masonry, on the hall side, and wooden panelling, running the full length of a Tudor cloister, on the other side.

Up until three years ago, the cloister had been used as offices by the Labour Party, and before that, a cloakroom for MPs. It was Dr. Hallam Smith who discovered evidence of a small, secret access door that had been set into the cloister’s panelling, during Parliament’s last major renovation in 1950.

The west Cloister where the door to the chamber was discovered

“We were trawling through 10,000 uncatalogued documents relating to the palace at the Historic England Archives in Swindon when we found plans for the doorway in the cloister behind Westminster Hall.

“As we looked at the panelling closely, we realized there was a tiny brass key-hole that no-one had really noticed before, believing it might just be an electricity cupboard.” The team turned to Parliament’s locksmith for help and, with some difficulty, he was able to open the wood panel door, to reveal a tiny, stone-floored chamber, with a bricked-up doorway on the far wall.

They discovered the original hinges for two wooden doors 3.5m high, that would have opened into Westminster Hall. They also found graffiti dating back to the rebuilding of Parliament, in a neo-Gothic style, following the fire in 1834 which destroyed much of the medieval palace.

The scrawled pencil marks, left by men who helped block the passageway on both sides in 1851, read: “This room was enclosed by Tom Porter who was very fond of Ould Ale.” It then names the witnesses of “the articles of the wall” – evidently architect Sir Charles Barry’s masons who had joined bricklayer’s labourer Thomas Porter in a toast to mark the room’s enclosure. The men can be traced in the 1851 census returns as Richard Condon, James Williams, Henry Terry, Thomas Parker, and Peter Dewal.

Pencil graffiti dating back to the 1850s is still visible

Finally, the graffiti notes: “These masons were employed refacing these groines…[ie repairing the cloister] August 11th, 1851 Real Democrats.”

This reference to “real democrats” suggests the group were part of the Chartist movement, which campaigned for every man aged 21 to have a vote, and for would-be MPs to be allowed to stand even if they did not own property.

“Charles Barry’s masons were quite subversive,” said Dr. Hallam Smith.

“They had been involved in quite a few scraps as the Palace was being built. I think these ones were being a little bit bolshie but also highly celebratory because they had just finished the first major restoration of these beautiful Tudor cloisters.”

Part of the bricked-up doorway in the hidden chamber

The team are keen to trace the descendants of Tom Porter and his colleagues and have already discovered that the workers lived in lodgings near Parliament. There was another surprise for the team when they entered the passageway – they were able to light the room.

A light switch – probably installed in the 1950s – illuminated a large Osram bulb marked ‘HM Government Property’. The team is eager to learn more about the history of this hardy bulb. Dr. Collins said further investigations made him certain the doorway dated back at least 360 years.

The plaque in Westminster Hall may not be entirely accurate, the team believes

Dendrochronology testing revealed that the ceiling timbers above the little room dated from trees felled in 1659 – which tied in with surviving accounts that stated the doorway was made in 1660-61 for the coronation banquet of Charles II.

This is in contrast to the words on the brass plaque in Westminster Hall, which state the passageway was used in 1642 by Charles I when he attempted to arrest five MPs, which the researchers believe is not accurate. Dr. Collins said the plans that led to their discovery will now be digitized as part of the Parliament’s Restoration and Renewal program.

“The mystery of the secret doorway is one we have enjoyed discovering – but the palace no doubt still has many more secrets to give up,” he added.

“We hope to share the story with visitors to the palace when the building is finally restored to its former glory, so it can be passed on down the generations and is never forgotten again.”

Section of Roman Road Uncovered in Northern England

Secret Roman road and treasure discovered on York construction site

A previously unknown Roman road has been found by the archaeologist under the Guildhall as work continues to restore and redevelop the buildings. 

The York Archaeological Trust (YAT) also discovered Currency and ‘an abundance of Roman pottery’ have also been found at the riverside site.

York Archéological Trust members have been working on behalf of the City of York Council for the past six months to monitor and record any archaeological deposits or features that are exposed through the ongoing redevelopment and restoration work at the site.

Some significant discoveries have already been made such an area of cobbled surface also dating back to the Roman period.

Buried over 1.5m below modern street level, the surface contained an abundance of Roman pottery and a silver coin. Furthermore, the excavation of a small trench revealed that three distinct surfaces had been laid, suggesting that it remained in use for a considerable period.

Cllr Nigel Ayre said: “ We’re delighted to see that as we restore and redevelop this collection of buildings, to secure its future in our 21st-century city, that we have the opportunity to unpack more of its history thanks to the expertise of York Archaeological Trust.

“As the city evolves and pioneers to address modern challenges and seize new opportunities, it is vital that we protect its unique heritage and share the stories we uncover along the way.”

Fieldwork is monitoring the Guildhall site in York and recently discovered a Roman-age road surface and silver coin. The site is currently undergoing redevelopment and restoration by @VCUK_Building on behalf of @CityofYork

The Guildhall restoration began in September 2019, initiating vital restoration and redevelopment of the Grade I, II* and II listed buildings, to offer office space, community use, and a riverside restaurant.

The project received £2.347 million from the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership, delivered in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, through the Leeds City Region Growth Deal – a £1 billion package of government investment to accelerate growth and create jobs across Leeds City Region.

The site is due to reopen to the public in Spring 2021.

Drought Reveals “Spanish Stonehenge” Older Than the Pyramids

Drought Reveals “Spanish Stonehenge” Older Than the Pyramids

After 50 years of immersion on the bottom of a basin, in Spain, a 5,000-year-old monument emerged.

There are 144 granite blocks on the megalithic site, which are over 6 feet high, known as ‘ Spanish Stonehenge. ‘ Its similarity to the UNESCO World Heritage site in Wiltshire is striking, but the Iberian version is made of smaller rocks.

The Spanish General ordered the construction of a hydroelectric dam at Peraleda de la Mata, near Cáceres in Extremadura, which was supposed to be condemned to the history books of the 1960s.

The Dolmen de Guadalperal, also known as the “Spanish Stonehenge,” has been completely exposed for the first time in 50 years following the drought.
Some of the megaliths reach two meters in height.

However, a severe and prolonged drought has seen the structure emerge as the last drops of water vanished from the barren basin. Western Spain is being ravaged by a year-long drought and the Bronze Age structure, thought to be an ancient temple, can now be seen.  

Hugo Obermaier, a German priest and amateur archaeologist, first found the site in 1925.

Due to the unfortunate decision-making of General Franco who opted to consign the site to obscurity when he commissioned a valley bordering the Tagus river to be flooded.

But before its rediscovery and subsequent demise, it is thought the stones would have centered around a central chamber for sun worship.

It is believed the Celts living in Iberia 4,000 years ago may have built the structure.    

‘The stones have been brought from about five kilometers away to form this temple, which we think was used to worship the sun,’ Ángel Castaño, president of the Peraleda Cultural Association, told the Times. 

‘In that way, it has similarities to Stonehenge but is obviously smaller.

‘People here had heard about them but had never seen them. We want the authorities to move these stones to the banks of the reservoir and to use them as a tourist attraction, as few people come to this area.’

Stonehenge’s enormous rocks are up to 30 feet in length, dwarfing the six-foot-tall single monoliths uncovered in Spain. There are more stones at the Spanish site, 1144 compared to 93 in Wiltshire. 

However, Stonehenge’s monument covers 10,800 square feet (10,000 square meters), a far bigger area than the Spanish site. 

Radiocarbon dating of the ‘Spanish Stonehenge’ found the stones range in age from around 4,000 to 5,000 years old and this ties them curiously to the history of Stonehenge. The first monolith structure in Europe was found in Brittany dating back as far as 4,794 BC and other early monuments (red) were found in northwest France, the Channel Islands, Catalonia, southwestern France, Corsica, and Sardinia from a similar time period.
The site was thought to be condemned to the history books in the 1960s when a Spanish general ordered the construction of a hydroelectric dam in Peraleda de la Mata, near Cáceres in Extremadura

Long-term plans for the preservation of the site are yet to be laid out, but Mr. Castaño met officials from the regional government yesterday to discuss the matter. If action is not taken now, he said, it could be many years before they are seen again.


A prolonged submersion could also be catastrophic for the stones, which are made of granite, a porous material prone to erosion, The monoliths are already showing significant signs of wear, he said, and if they are not saved now, it may be too late.  

Radiocarbon dating of the rocks found they range in age from around 4,000 to 5,000 years old and this ties them curiously to the history of Stonehenge.  Neolithic people, often prone to building monolithic structures, emerged throughout time across Europe. 

It is widely accepted Stonehenge’s bluestones were quarried from Priesli Hills in Wales and moved to the current location, but how the idea for Stonehenge arrived on British shores remains a mystery.  

Various pieces of recent research have looked at what likely led to this, and a scientific paper published in February put forward the idea that the knowledge and expertise to create such monuments was spread around Europe by sailors.

The authors from the University of Gothenburg said the practice of erecting enormous stone structures began in France 6,500 years ago and then made its way around Europe as people migrated.  

Further research into the Spanish Stonehenge could allow for a more detailed picture to emerge of the practice’s popularity in different areas at different times. Currently, inhabitants of Anatolia, what is now Turkey, are thought to have moved to Iberia and settled before eventually heading north and entering the British Isles.