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Massive Neolithic Pit Circle Near Stonehenge Identified as Deliberate Monument

A new study in Internet Archaeology argues that a ring of about 20 pits two miles northeast of Stonehenge was deliberately constructed, not formed naturally. Researchers used ground-penetrating radar, magnetometry and electrical resistance tomography, plus luminescence dating and environmental DNA from sediment cores. The pits form a roughly 1.2-mile-diameter circle dating to the Late Neolithic and likely relate to the nearby Durrington Walls settlement. The work highlights how non-invasive geophysics combined with dating and aDNA can resolve longstanding archaeological questions.

05:29 AM, 11/29/2025Culture
Massive Neolithic Pit Circle Near Stonehenge Identified as Deliberate Monument

New research reveals Durrington pit circle was intentionally constructed

A recent study published in the journal Internet Archaeology presents strong evidence that a ring of pits near Stonehenge was created by people rather than by natural processes. First discovered in 2020, the feature has been the subject of debate; researchers used multiple non-invasive techniques and dating methods to resolve how the site was made.

The team examined 16 distinct features using ground-penetrating radar, magnetometry and electrical resistance tomography. They then extracted sediment cores and applied luminescence dating to determine when the soil was last exposed to sunlight. Environmental DNA recovered from the deposits provided information about past plant and animal life at the site.

Repeating patterns across the landscape led the researchers to conclude the pits form a deliberate, constructed ensemble. The feature comprises about 20 pits arranged in a ring roughly two miles northeast of Stonehenge and spanning approximately 1.2 miles in diameter, making it one of Britain’s largest known monuments from the Late Neolithic.

"Now that we’re confident that the pits are a structure, we’ve got a massive monument inscribing the cosmology of the people at the time on to the land in a way we haven’t seen before," said Professor Vincent Gaffney, the study’s lead analyst. "If it’s going to happen anywhere in Britain, it’s going to happen at Stonehenge."

The Durrington Walls landscape also contains evidence of a large Late Neolithic settlement, previously estimated to have included roughly 1,000 houses and perhaps around 4,000 people between about 2800 and 2100 BC. Unlike the funerary landscape associated with Stonehenge, the pits sit near the settlement and may have been linked to practices concerning the living.

Although the pits’ precise purpose remains under investigation, the study demonstrates the power of combining non-invasive geophysics, sediment dating and environmental DNA to resolve long-standing questions at well-known prehistoric landscapes. These methods can now be applied to other ancient sites to reassess features that have long been ambiguous.

Further fieldwork and analysis will be needed to clarify the pits’ function within the broader ritual and social landscape of Late Neolithic Britain.

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