Archaeologists in the Czech Republic have uncovered a prehistoric monument they interpret as a ritual center aligned with solar and lunar movements. Dating to roughly 6,500 years old, it predates Stonehenge by about a millennium.
The structure was discovered at Chleby in the Central Bohemian Region. Archaeologists found a circular enclosure consisting of a ditch that was about 750 feet (230 meters) in diameter and 8 feet (2.5 m) deep. Twelve entrances that led to the center of the enclosure were located in different spots around the ditch, the team said in an Aug. 18 statement.
Researchers suggest that timber posts may have formed the enclosure’s walls, and animal remains recovered from the ditch indicate that the gateways could have been adorned with bull skulls and horns.
“The cult of the bull was an important religious symbol among the first farming communities and is known from many parts of prehistoric Europe,” said Jan Turek, an archaeologist at Charles University in Prague participating in the project. In these Neolithic societies, bulls likely represented strength and fertility.
A remote sensing image of a Neolithic period enclosure found in the Czech Republic.
(Image credit: University of West Bohemia)
Sun and moon
The monument’s form and alignment are atypical for a Stone Age site, researchers observed.
“Circular enclosures are completely unknown in our region for this period, which already makes the site exceptional,” remarked Petr Krištuf, professor of archaeology at the University of West Bohemia and leader of the research team. He added that detailed analysis of the entrance layout showed a non‑random pattern, creating a framework for tracking key solar and lunar events.
Specifically, the twelve openings were aligned so that observers within the enclosure could witness notable astronomical phenomena — including the moon’s extreme declination during its 18.6‑year cycle, sunrise on the summer solstice, and sunset on the winter solstice.
“For prehistoric farming communities, the link between summer solstice sunrise signified a beginning, while winter solstice sunset marked an end,” Krištuf explained. “A comparable orientation exists on Stonehenge’s primary axis, indicating that the Chleby monument was conceived with a similar purpose.
In subsequent periods the monument’s original ritual function appears to have faded or been abandoned. Earlier excavations uncovered eighteen Bronze Age burials linked to the Únětice culture (circa 2300–1600 BC), a group noted for distinctive graves and artifacts such as the Nebra Sky Disc. While the site may have retained some ceremonial role during that era, an Iron Age settlement (approximately 800 BC to 1 BC) was later erected over the remains.
“By the Iron Age the monument had clearly lost its original meaning; the ditch was slowly infilled and a conventional settlement was built atop the former sanctuary,” Krištuf stated.
Investigations continue, with researchers intending to examine the site’s soil chemistry to gain insight into the lives of its ancient inhabitants.
“Besides artifacts and human remains, chemical residues in the soil can reveal how this remarkable location was utilized across prehistoric periods,” noted Jan Fišer, archaeologist at the University of Hradec Králové and project participant.
