Archaeologists have discovered a monument from Stone Age Britain that makes Stonehenge look small. The ancient henge, Marden Henge, is 10 times bigger than Stonehenge, with walls that stand 10 feet high and enclose nearly 40 acres of land. "For all the attention that has been lavished on Stonehenge over the years, we may well find out that Marden was where it was really at during the Neolithic," Jim Leary, director of the archaeology field school at the University of Reading, told National Geographic.
Unfortunately, Marden Henge's true purpose remains as much of a mystery as Stonehenge's. Judging by the remains of numerous pigs and a fire pit, archaeolgists assume that it seemed to be "the scene of feasting on a lavish scale," National Geographic reports. One theory is that the site was a place where "initiates or celebrants were cleansed before participating in ceremonies." Another explanation is that the henge was a smokehouse where hogs were prepared for feasts.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.