Scientists reveal what made massive pits at Stonehenge

A team of archaeologists have revealed how they think the huge Neolithic pits found near Stonehenge in 2020 were made.

The 20 prehistoric pits are 10 metres in diameter, more than five meters deep and spaced out to form a circle more than 2km wide.

Researchers used lots of different specialised tech to work out the size and shape of the pits.

Professor Vince Gaffney, from the University of Bradford's School of Archaeological and Forensic Sciences, said it could be "one of the largest prehistoric structures in Britain, if not the largest prehistoric structure".

The pits were found with geophysics, then boreholes were made to test the sediment

Stonehenge pits - who or what made them?

Researchers took samples from the pits using narrow boreholes.

By taking DNA from these, they could see what plants grew nearby at the time and learnt that animals like sheep and cattle were also there too.

DNA is an unique coded instruction for every living thing - which determines things like how something will grow and what features, or characteristics, it has.

By having this information the experts were better able to work out when these big holes were dug.

Their findings confirmed the pits were man made and date back to the Late Neolithic period more than 4,000 years ago.

Can you make out the faint circle of pits in the grass in this image? Hint: The road goes through it

Archaeologists say it would've been quite difficult to dig the holes because of the chalky landscape.

They believe the pits might have been a sacred boundary, linked to ceremonial activity nearby.

Professor Vince Gaffney added: "The circle is pretty accurate.

"It suggests that people were pacing the distances out to make sure that the pits were aligned at the same distance all the way around as the distance from the henge to the earlier enclosure".