AP, LONDON
Archeologists yesterday revealed that they have discovered a structure near the prehistoric stone circle of Stonehenge in southern England that might have served as a “prototype” for the 5,000-year-old Neolithic monument.The structure would have consisted of two wooden poles 120m apart and aligned to point directly at the rising sun during the summer solstice and the setting sun at the winter solstice, a British firm Wessex Archaeology team said, adding that it predated Stonehenge by about 500 years.The team was led by archeologist Phil Harding, who is well known in the UK through his many years of excavations for the Channel 4 TV series Time Team.
Archeologist Phil Harding stands at Stonehenge, near Salisbury, England, last month.
The site, which also turned up a treasure trove of finds including pottery, animal bones and a rare disc-shaped knife, was likely to have been a focus for major religious gatherings, 76-year-old Harding said.“Opportunities like this probably only come once in a career, in a lifetime,” he said. “I’m probably towards the end of my career now, but thank God I’m still in archeology long enough to be part of this discovery, because it’s certainly the highlight of my career.”
