Woodhenge

Woodhenge is a Neolithic Class II henge and timber circle located within the Stonehenge World Heritage Site in Wiltshire, England, approximately 2 miles northeast of Stonehenge. The site was identified from an aerial photograph taken by Gilbert Insall in 1926, though it had been discovered earlier in the 19th century and referred to as "Dough Cover." Excavations conducted between 1926 and 1929 by Maud and Ben Cunnington confirmed its classification as a henge. The site dates back to the Beaker period, with pottery indicating cultural influences from both the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age. Radiocarbon dating suggests the ditch was constructed between 2470 and 2000 BCE, around the same time as Stonehenge's stone circle. The site remained in use until approximately 1800 BC. Woodhenge consists of six concentric oval rings of postholes, surrounded by a ditch and outer bank. The overall diameter, including the bank and ditch, is about 110 meters. A single entrance faces northeast. At the center, a child's remains were found, interpreted as a possible dedicatory sacrifice, though later theories suggest soil pressure may have caused skull fractures. Another burial of a teenager was also discovered. Some postholes held large wooden posts, similar in scale to Stonehenge's bluestones. Woodhenge is part of a larger landscape that includes nearby sites like the Southern Circle, discovered in 1966, and possibly connected via pathways such as Stonehenge Avenue. Theories suggest the use of wood at Woodhenge may symbolize life-death transformations, contrasting with Stonehenge's stone, which might represent ancestral spirits. ...