An ancient circle was found underground during a geographical survey at the Isle of Arran’s Machrie Moor, according to a recent report from Historic Environment Scotland (HES).
Located on Arran’s west coast, Machrie Moor is a peat moorland where a large collection of Neolithic and Bronze Age archaeological finds, dating back to between 3,500 BCE to 1,500 BCE.
The recently discovered circle joins six others previously identified at the site, known as Circles 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 11. Excavations of the site have also shown that several of the stone circles at the moor were preceded by timber circles that stood in the same positions as the stones did.
In a late June statement, HES noted that it is likely the newly discovered circle dates to a similar period as the other six.
Using advanced technology to scan the moor for any disturbances in the ground, HES archaeologists revealed twelve circular pit-like anomalies that, when connected, form a circle with spacing for two more pits.
Due to the fact that there are no stones in the pits, archaeologists have surmised that the circles may have been “settings” for either stone or timber posts.
Stone circles of this kind are famously associated with ritualistic and ceremonial activity, such as the UK’s Stonehenge in Wiltshire and the more recently discovered “prototype” near Bulford.
The circle found at Machrie Moor, HES noted, aligns with a “prominent notch” at the top of Machrie Glen, where the midsummer sunrise would have been clearly visible to Neolithic and Bronze Age farmers taking part in the festivities.
Stone circles were also sometimes used for burials, including for cremations and inhumation. HES noted that there is a chance the newly unearthed circle may have been used for this purpose, but more research is required.
Uncovering more of Scotland's past
“We are tremendously excited about this new discovery,” said Dr. Nick Hannon, senior heritage recording manager at HES. “We know that there is a lot of archaeology yet to uncover at Machrie Moor, but the discovery of a new circle completely surpassed our expectations.”
“The tools we use to learn about what’s underground are constantly developing, and we can learn more and more about our buried history without disturbing the earth and potentially damaging archaeological remains.”
“Discoveries like this one remind us why we do this work – to look after Scotland’s heritage and uncover more of our past in the process,” said Hannon.
Ancient structure near Stonehenge may have inspired its solstice alignment
In mid-June, a team from Wessex Archaeology uncovered an ancient structure that may have served as an early “prototype” for the solstice alignment at Stonehenge some five kilometers away from the famed site.
Archaeologists have radiocarbon dated the site to approximately 5,000 years ago - around the time of the earliest phase of Stonehenge’s construction.
The site, believed to have likely served as a focus for religious gatherings, bears extensive evidence of feasting and large-scale gatherings.
Further, it shows that “ancient people were using this feat of astronomical engineering to celebrate the solstice here at least 500 years before the alignment of the stones at Stonehenge,” said Wessex Archaeology in its statement.
Discovered at the heart of the site are two pits, thought by researchers to have held two wooden poles standing 120 meters apart.
Analysis of the pits conducted by Wessex Archaeology showed that the alignment of the two poles would have formed a line pointing at the rising sun during the summer solstice and the setting sun during the winter solstice.