Archaeological research on the prehistoric Dorset burial site called Flagstones has revealed it to be the earliest large circular enclosure in Britain. Situated near Dorchester, the monument has been redated to around 3,200 years BC, making it approximately two centuries older than previously believed. Advanced radiocarbon analysis of artifacts like human remains, red deer antlers, and charcoal unveiled this new timeline.
The reevaluation suggests that Flagstones may have influenced later monuments such as Stonehenge. This collaborative research, conducted by the University of Exeter and Historic England, has been published in the journal Antiquity.
Dr. Susan Greaney, a specialist in Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments, expressed, “Flagstones is an unusual monument; a perfectly circular ditched enclosure, with burials and cremations associated with it. 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. 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.”
READ MORE: Historic Yeovil bus depot building facing demolition sparks community concern
READ MORE: Renowned Chef Revitalizes Iconic West Country Pub
Flagstones, discovered during the 1980s while constructing the Dorchester bypass, consists of a 100m circular ditch made of intersecting pits. Unfortunately, part of the site lies beneath the bypass, with the remainder under Max Gate, Thomas Hardy’s former home, now bequeathed to the National Trust. Flagstones is a scheduled monument with finds and excavation archives preserved at Dorset Museum.
The burial site, containing at least four burials, including a cremated adult and three non-cremated children, resembles the first phase of Stonehenge, dated to around 2900 BC. The new scientific dating program involved collaboration with laboratories at ETH Zürich and the University of Groningen, providing 23 new radiocarbon measurements.
The revised chronology has shown that early Neolithic activity occurred around 3650 BC, with the circular ditched enclosure created around 3200 BC, followed by immediate burial placements within it. The site’s later use involved an intriguing burial of a young adult male under a large sarsen stone, occurring around 1,000 years after its initial use.
Dr. Greaney emphasized, “The chronology of Flagstones is essential for understanding the changing sequence of ceremonial and funeral monuments in Britain. The ‘sister’ monument to Flagstones is Stonehenge, whose first phase is almost identical, but it dates to around 2900 BC. Could Stonehenge have been a copy of Flagstones? Or do these findings suggest our current dating of Stonehenge might need revision?”
Flagstones also provides insight into connections with other significant sites, including Llandygái ‘Henge’ A in Gwynedd, Wales, and locations in Ireland, as supported by artifacts and burial practices, highlighting the interconnectedness of Neolithic communities across Britain and beyond.
Beginning of the circle? Revised chronologies for Flagstones and Alington Avenue, Dorchester, Dorset is published in Antiquity by Cambridge University Press.