The circles and stone rows of Dartmoor

The striking similarities between the wheels and about 80 rows of stones scattered on the plateau of Dartmoor (Devon County, England) and Stonehenge, 180 km east, suggest that these monuments may be the work of the same "people".

The row of nine stones on Cut Hill was discovered in 2004 by the archaeologist Tom Greeves on one of the highest and most remote hills of Dartmoor National Park.

The stones of Cut Hill (Tom Greeves)

Ralph Fyfe, University of Plymouth, and Tom Greeves have carbon-dated peat surrounding the stones.

Their study published in Antiquity indicates that at least one of the stones fell on the ground - or was dropped man - between 3600 and 3440 BC, but some fell between 3350 and 3100 BC

This is unexpected because, following the dating of artifacts found nearby, it was thought that the monuments of Dartmoor as Cut Hill and Stall Moor were dated to the Bronze Age (2100-1600 BC).

Stall Moor (Woolfit Adam / Robert Harding Picture Library / Alamy)

Fyfe Cut Hill suggests that dates back to Neolithic times, the same period of construction of Stonehenge.

Unlike the latter, however, the stones of Cut Hill lie lay down on the ground, parallel to each other and spaced between 19 and 34.5 meters.

Although some evidence suggests that at least one of the stones stood upright in a few moments, the regularity of the arrangement makes possible the idea that the stones were deliberately placed on the ground, says Greeves.

Furthermore, the alignment of the stones with the solstices of summer and winter seems to be identical to that of Stonehenge, Newgrange in Ireland, and Maes Howe (or Maeshowe) in Scotland. "It could be coincidence, but it's impressive," said archaeologist Mike Pitts, who speaks of Dartmoor in the latest issue of its journal British Archaeology .

Font: New Scientist , Discovery .

Source: http://ilfattostorico.com

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