On 2 May 2014, Amesbury in Wiltshire was officially recognized as the oldest town in Britain. The news would seem completely insignificant to most, but what drew my attention is that the town is located about 40 miles from Stonehenge. For years historians and researchers alike believed that the famous site was constructed by European immigrants, but results from a recent archaeological dig by the University of Buckingham has finally proven that the site dates back more than 10 millenia and was initiated by British settlers. In fact, carbon dating has shown the parish of Amesbury has been occupied since 8, 820 BC.
Although there are quite a few sites similar to Stonehenge worldwide, the news immediately made me think of two utterly unique discoveries that I identified while doing research on megalithic sites. My favourite was Seahenge, discovered in Norfolk in 1998. Also known as Holme 1, the site consisted of fifty-five oak trunks that formed a circular enclosure with a large inverted oak stump in the middle. The site was built around 21st century BC. Ater its discovery, the site was excavated despite protests from neo-pagan groups and the timbers were cleaned and placed in permanent storage. Today visitors can view a recreated Seahenge at the original site or visit the museum that opened to the public in 2008. The site appeared on a list of mine that was published by Listverse detailing Ten Incredible Submerged Ruins.
While both of these sites are in the UK, I also discovered that a similar site was found at the bottom of Lake Michigan. This in itself is fascinating as most of the megalithic sites appear in Western Europe and the Middle East. In 2007 while surveying Lake Michigan’s bottom with sonar, a team of underwater archaeologists discovered a series of stones aligned in a circle 40 feet below the surface. One of the stones also seemed to feature a carving of a mastodon, an animal that has been extinct for over 10, 000 years. This site appeared on a published list called Ten Mysterious Underwater Anomalies.
Where the Megalithic Builders came from and who they were, will always remain a mystery and a let’s be honest, a heavily debated one. To look at a few other examples, feel free to visit the Sacred Destinations website and visit their Megaliths page.
The Basics 