Story perspectives

5,000-Year-Old Solstice Monument Unearthed Near Stonehenge

6/20/2026

Summary

Story summary

Archaeologist Phil Harding’s team excavated two solstice-aligned postholes at Bulford, England, confirming a 5,000-year-old wooden monument.
The monument comprised two wooden poles set 120 metres apart, aligning with the midsummer sunrise and midwinter sunset in 2950 BC; a smaller pit yielded a disc-shaped flint knife that may symbolize the sun.
Senior research manager Matt Leivers said the repeated solstice markings indicate a religious practice and a link to the early Stonehenge community.

History

Historical Context

Around 3000 BC Neolithic groups erected timber circles—like the 2600 BC Durrington Walls ring aligned to midsummer sunrise and midwinter sunset—preceding Stonehenge’s later stone phases. The 2024 English Heritage excavation at Bulford, led by Phil Harding, uncovered two postholes 120 m apart, confirming a 5,000-year-old wooden monument and illustrating continuity of solar-aligned monument building.

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Story summary

Archaeologist Phil Harding’s team excavated two solstice-aligned postholes at Bulford, England, confirming a 5,000-year-old wooden monument.
The monument comprised two wooden poles set 120 metres apart, aligning with the midsummer sunrise and midwinter sunset in 2950 BC; a smaller pit yielded a disc-shaped flint knife that may symbolize the sun.
Senior research manager Matt Leivers said the repeated solstice markings indicate a religious practice and a link to the early Stonehenge community.

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