Archaeologists say they now have strong evidence that huge pits near Stonehenge were deliberately carved by Neolithic people, ending years of debate over whether the features were natural.
The features, known as the Durrington pit circle, form a massive ring more than a mile across and may include around 20 pits, some measuring up to 10 metres wide and 5 metres deep. The circle surrounds important prehistoric sites such as Durrington Walls and Woodhenge.
Although the pits were first highlighted in 2020, some experts doubted their human origins. A new study published in Internet Archaeology used a combination of advanced techniques to resolve the question. Researchers employed electrical resistance tomography to measure depth, alongside radar and magnetometry to map the pits’ shapes. They also extracted soil cores and used optically stimulated luminescence dating and environmental DNA analysis to study the sediments.
The team found repeating soil patterns across different pits, which they say could not have occurred naturally. Professor Vincent Gaffney of the University of Bradford said the evidence shows the circle was an “extraordinary” human-made structure.
While the exact purpose remains uncertain, the researchers believe the pits were dug in the late Neolithic period and may have been linked to spiritual beliefs, possibly representing an “underworld” in the ancient landscape.
