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For centuries, the prehistoric monument known as Stonehenge has intrigued visitors, historians, and researchers alike. Archaeologists believe that the stones were raised between 2200 and 2400 BC, though there’s evidence that earlier parts of the monument might have been built as early as 3000 BC. Now, advanced radar and magnetic scanning techniques have revealed new man-made structures surrounding Stonehenge that could rewrite much of what we thought we knew about the ancient complex.

The Stonehenge complex, with multilple finds highlighted.

We first covered ongoing research into the so-called Superhenge a year ago. The area, known as the Durrington Walls, has long been known as the site of a Neolithic settlement. The term “henge” refers to a specific type of structure — a circular or oval bank with an internal ditch and central flat area. Henges are distinct from typical defensive fortifications, which use an external, rather than an internal, ring. Stonehenge is actually atypical, since it has an external ring — but since the defensive usefulness of large stones with huge gaps between them is rather dubious, it’s still not considered a defensive structure.

The current bank of the Durrington Walls

Last year, scientists uncovered evidence of 50 ten-foot pillars, ritual monuments, and a long barrow. What the new mapping project has uncovered is that the Durrington Walls weren’t just a settlement — they were surrounded by a henge structure of some ninety standing stones, some of which were up to 4.5 meters tall. The new data means that the stones were significantly larger than previously thought, while the ring itself may have been larger. Some of the stones remain buried in the ground, now covered by the massive bank that now marks the site.

According to the researchers that conducted the survey, this fundamentally changes interpretations of the Stonehenge site. Previously, only Stonehenge itself and a smaller henge structure at the end of Stonehenge “Avenue” were thought to contain significant amounts of stone. Unlike the foreign “bluestones” found at Stonehenge, it’s thought that the Durrington superhenge may have been built with locally available materials, though some scientists believe that at least some of the material used to build Stonehenge may have been deposited by glaciers and found by prehistoric humans relatively close to the monument itself.

The Durrington “Superhenge” as it would’ve existed thousands of years ago

“This discovery of a major new stone monument, which has been preserved to a remarkable extent, has significant implications for our understanding of Stonehenge and its landscape setting,” explains Professor Gaffney. “Not only does this new evidence demonstrate a completely unexpected phase of monumental architecture at one of the greatest ceremonial sites in prehistoric Europe, the new stone row could well be contemporary with the famous Stonehenge sarsen circle or even earlier.”

Of all the interpretations of Stonehenge that exist, this is certainly one of them.

Exactly what Stonehenge or this new Superhenge meant to prehistoric people may never be conclusively answered, though the Norwegian group Ylvis’ take can be seen above. It’s now clear that the prehistoric tribes who lived in the area engaged in sustained monument efforts that dwarfed even the creation of Stonehenge itself. The advent of modern scanning and imaging techniques, meanwhile, allows for archaeology on an unprecedented scale. Attempting to move the hundreds of tons of earth that now cover the Durrington Walls would be extremely difficult and expensive — imaging the same area can answer many of the questions researchers raise at a fraction of the cost.