New henge discovered at Stonehenge

Thursday 22nd July 2010

An ancient wooden version of Stonehenge has been unearthed at the site of the world famous Bronze Age monument in Wiltshire.

The discovery of the timber henge just metres from its giant stone double has been hailed as the most exciting find the site in 50 years.

Archaeologists conducting a multi-million pound study unearthed a circular ditch surrounding a smaller circle of deep pits about a metre wide, which are thought to have once been filled by timber posts.

The new henge, which means a circular monument dating back to the Neolithic and Bronze ages, was found just 900 metres (2,950ft) from the stone circle on Salisbury Plain.

Archaeologists believe it was constructed at the same time as Stonehenge was being completed – around 4,500 years ago.