Dorset Burial Site Found to Precede Stonehenge by Centuries

New radiocarbon analysis reveals the Flagstones monument dates back to 3200 BCE, challenging assumptions about Britain's Neolithic monuments.

The Flagstones monument in Dorset, England, has been redated to approximately 3200 BCE, making it the oldest known circular enclosure in Britain.
Advanced radiocarbon dating techniques analyzed human remains, red deer antlers, and charcoal to establish the revised timeline.
The site’s structure—a circular ditched enclosure with burials and cremations—shares similarities with the first phase of Stonehenge, previously thought to be contemporaneous.
Researchers suggest that Flagstones may have influenced the design of later monuments like Stonehenge, or that Stonehenge's dating might require reevaluation.
The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the evolution of ceremonial and funeral monuments in Neolithic Britain.