Archaeologists discovered structures like the ancient Stonehenge that is found in Spain. The prehistoric complex is located in Huelva, Spain's southwest, and is planned to be developed into an avocado farm.
Mysterious Neolithic Structures
These standing stones, called menhirs, are seen all over Europe, and is a Celtic word, and could be about 7,500 years old. This monument comprises thousands of stones, all laid out over 600 hectares covering a small hill, reported Live Science.
The largest of the menhirs stands alone, but the rest are put together as tombs, mounds, circles, fences, and straight rows. A variety of stones is another mystery of the stone age complex.
According to José Antonio Linares, a geoarchaeologist at Huelva University and the lead researcher of a new study that appears in Trabajos de Historia, the henge pattern found in Spain is unusual.
Dubbed as La Torre-La Janera, when it was found in 2018, although scientists have only seen this Stonehenge complex, said Linares. These Neolithic age monuments are used for various purposes, including marking territory, ritualistic, seasonal calendars, and burial, which were a part of ancient life so long ago.
He said that a complete study in 2020 and 2021 disclosed the importance of the site and that the academic institutions of Huelva and Alcalá are now funding archaeological research until at least 2026.
The complex was built by prehistoric builders atop a hill near the Guadiana River and the Atlantic Ocean, on high ground for greater visibility.
There are 520 menhirs on the site, some of which were built around 7,500 years ago, with the younger parts of the monument built between 3,000 and 4,000 years ago.
Some standing stones formed prominent roofed tombs called "dolmens," whereas others established coffin-shaped structures called "cists" that archaeologists assume were utilized to entomb the dead.
Linares was underwhelmed that no remains had been unearthed at the monument and that no tombs had been dug up. He thinks since such structures must have contained human bones at some point, they might not have been kept in the acidic soil.
Ancient Use of Stone at the Dawn of Civilization
The same standing stones and stone age sites are also known as "megaliths," which originate from Archaic Greek and indicate "giant stone," and were prevalent in the ancient world from Europe to the Mediterranean. Megalithic formations can be found in Spain, including near La Torre-La Janera.
Examples include Stonehenge in the United Kingdom and larger megalithic monuments such as Carnac, which has 10,000 menhirs arranged in rows. Knowing the age of these stones is challenging due to the kind of rock used in these ancient complexes.
According to the Smithsonian magazine, materials found in other Stone Age sites show it is 6,500 years old, but the La Torre-La Janera menhirs at 7,500 years old could be the oldest ones.
Project leader Primitiva Bueno Ramírez, a professor of prehistory at Alcalá University, also suggested the Spanish site is oriented to solstices and equinoxes. She added there might be more learned about it soon.
These ancient structures, similar to the ancient Stonehenge found in Spain called La Torre-La Janera, might be the oldest among these megalithic formations.
