Czech Republic discovery of 6,500-year-old Neolithic sanctuary

Archaeologists in the Czech Republic have discovered a 6,500-year-old monumental sanctuary near the village of Chleby. The site, located in the Nymburk district, features a nearly circular earthwork approximately 230 meters in diameter and a ditch more than two and a half meters deep.

A research team led by Petr Krištuf from the University of West Bohemia, in collaboration with Charles University in Prague and the University of Hradec Králové, identified the structure as one of the oldest monumental sites in Central Europe. Notably, the site predates England’s Stonehenge by more than 1,000 years.

The structure includes twelve entrances positioned at irregular intervals. Investigations suggest these openings follow specific astronomical patterns. One alignment corresponds to the extreme positions of the moon on the horizon over an 18-year cycle, while another connects the summer solstice sunrise with the winter solstice sunset. Researchers believe these celestial alignments held significant symbolic meaning for the prehistoric farming communities that inhabited the region.