located near Dorchester, was the subject of recent archaeological research by the University of Exeter and Historic England.
Radiocarbon analysis at the Flagstones site provided new insights into its origins, as reported by Archaeology Magazine. The scientific dating program, led by Dr. Susan Greaney and Dr. Peter Marshall, in collaboration with laboratories at ETH Zurich and the University of Groningen, produced 23 new radiocarbon measurements that drastically altered perceptions of the monument, according to About Manchester.
"The chronology of Flagstones is essential for understanding the changing sequence of ceremonial and funeral monuments in Britain," Dr. Greaney stated. The findings suggest that the Flagstones monument is approximately two centuries older than previously thought, making it older than the early construction phases of Stonehenge.
The circular ditched enclosure of the Flagstones site was created around 3200 BCE, with burials placed within it immediately afterwards. Excavations at the site uncovered at least four burials within its ditches, including a cremated adult male and three non-cremated children. Additionally, three partial cremations of adults were found elsewhere at the site, The Independent reported.
Due to its similarities to the earliest phase of Stonehenge, dated to around 2900 BCE, it was previously assumed that Flagstones belonged to a similar period. However, the new dating places Flagstones earlier than Stonehenge's initial construction phases. Dr. Greaney noted that the closest monument in design to Flagstones is the initial phase of Stonehenge. "Could Stonehenge have been a copy of Flagstones?" she questioned, as per The Independent. "Or do these findings suggest our current dating of Stonehenge might need revision?"
The study titled "Beginning of the Circle? Revised Chronologies for Flagstones and Alington Avenue, Dorchester, Dorset" is published in the journal Antiquity. "The findings highlighted the interconnectedness of Neolithic communities across Britain and beyond," said the University of Exeter, as reported by BBC News.
The Flagstones site's unique structure is a perfectly circular ditched enclosure containing both burials and cremations, described by Dr. Greaney as "an unusual monument," according to The Independent.
"In some respects, it looks like monuments that come earlier, which we call causewayed enclosures, and in others, it looks a bit like things that come later that we call henges," she said. "But we didn't know where it sat between these types of monuments—and the revised chronology places it in an earlier period than we expected."
The site was discovered in the 1980s during the construction of the Dorchester bypass, The Leader reported. Today, half of the Flagstones site lies beneath the bypass, with the remainder located beneath Max Gate, Thomas Hardy's former home, which is now managed by the National Trust.
The Flagstones monument reveals connections to other sites, including Llandegai in Gwynedd, Wales, and even locations in Ireland, as implied by artefacts and burial practices.
A later burial of a young adult male was found beneath a large sarsen stone at the center of the Flagstones enclosure, dated to approximately a thousand years after its original construction, as per the Dorset Echo. Flagstones is designated as a protected monument, with its findings and excavation records preserved at the Dorset Museum.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.
