Stonehenge Wasn’t First? New Study Reveals an Older Monument in Britain

A new study published in the Cambridge Antiquity journal reveals that radiocarbon dating data can help to clarify our understanding of Flagstone and Stonehenge.

Flagstones Existed Before Stonehenge, As Proven By A New Research

Archaeologists have made us understand that the Stonehenge monumental site existed before the Flagstones. This has been the understanding about these monumental sites for Brits and the world ever since their discoveries.

However, a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Exeter and Historic England proves our previous understanding of these sites false. It also sparks questions about how interwoven the cultural values of the UK in the past might have been.

By collecting radiocarbon dating data from materials found in the Flagstones, researchers can ascertain that this monument dates back to 3200 B.C.E. This is about three centuries older than Stonehenge, which dates back to 2900 B.C.E.

Both sites were burial places, as researchers have been able to find cremated adult bodies and non-cremated children’s bodies within these circular stone walls.

Researchers believe that this practice represents a transition to cremation funeral traditions.

Are The Flagstone and Stonehenge Signs Of Interwoven Customs Between Britain And Ireland?

The Flagstone and Stonehenge aren’t the only monuments of their kind found in Britain. In Gwynedd, Wales, we can see the Llandygái ‘Henge’, similar to both circular funeral structures.

This burial method was possibly a custom across the UK, as we can also find matching structures in Eastern Ireland. In the Boyne Valley, there are structures similar to the Mound of the Hostages that serve the same purposes for the people of the region.

There is a need for more research on the sites in Ireland to see if they existed before 3200 B.C.E., hence being older than the Flagstones. With more details available, we will be able to better understand the origin of these sites as well as their actual usage.