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A mystical and ancient stone circle located in the Middle East might not be a prehistoric astronomical observatory, as suggested by a recent examination of satellite imagery. Nevertheless, some critiques could be unfounded, according to an authority on ancient astronomy who spoke with Live Science.
Researchers believe that the earliest components of Rujm el-Hiri (translated as “Heap of Stones of the Wildcat” in Arabic) were constructed over 6,000 years ago. This site is located in the debated Golan Heights area, which is claimed by both Israel and Syria.
Prior studies suggested that openings within the stone circle were aligned with celestial occurrences, such as the summer and winter solstices — the shortest and longest nights of the year, respectively — and this monument has been compared to England’s Stonehenge.
However, the geomagnetic analysis and tectonic reconstruction presented in the new study indicate that the entire terrain surrounding Rujm el-Hiri and the adjacent Sea of Galilee has shifted over time, as noted in the study published on November 14 in the journal Remote Sensing.
“The location of Rujm el-Hiri has been displaced from its original site by several meters throughout thousands of years of the structure’s existence,” the authors declared — a revelation that raises uncertainties regarding its potential function as an ancient astronomical observatory.
Related: ‘Everything we found shattered our expectations’: Archaeologists discover 1st astronomical observatory from ancient Egypt
However, astronomer E.C. Krupp, the director at Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, mentioned to Live Science that the displacement was not specified in the recent research, making it impossible to ascertain whether Rujm el-Hiri once exhibited celestial alignments.
The ancient stones of Rujm el-Hiri
The lead author of the study, Olga Khabarova, a space physicist from Tel Aviv University in Israel, conveyed to Live Science that the research team utilized satellite images to analyze Rujm el-Hiri and its surrounding landscape — a particularly effective method in remote areas or in politically sensitive locations like the Golan Heights.
The investigation uncovered that Rujm el-Hiri was merely one of countless prehistoric edifices constructed in the area, which include circular formations; enclosures with stone walls believed to be used for agricultural purposes; and “tumuli,” mounds that might have served for burial, habitation or storage.
The ancient stone circle is located in the Golan Heights, which were seized by Israel during the Six-Day War in 1967, yet the region is still claimed by Syria. The site comprises several concentric rings, the largest measuring approximately 500 feet (150 meters) across, constructed from heaps of basalt rocks that remain up to 8 feet (2.5 m) tall.
The monument is referred to as Gilgal Refaim in Hebrew (which translates to “Wheel of Giants”) and is accessible to the public, but can only be reached via dirt paths, and very few visitors go there nowadays, Khabarova mentioned. Even during the time when the stone circle was erected, the area must have been a rugged highland adjacent to the more favorable shores of the Sea of Galilee, she stated.
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Contested Alignments
Khabarova indicated that the recent evaluation suggested geological events had caused the adjacent landscape to rotate counterclockwise following the construction of Rujm el-Hiri, making it improbable that any meaningful astronomical alignments could be derived from its current orientation.
The examination of the location of Rujm el-Hiri represents only a brief segment of the new document, but the astronomical perspective has been highlighted by various media platforms, including the Times of Israel.
Krupp, a specialist in ancient astronomy and the writer of “Echoes of the Ancient Skies: The Astronomy of Lost Civilizations” (Dover, 2003), remarked that the 1998 study proposing astronomical alignments at Rujm el-Hiri did not assert it was an ancient observatory. Rather, that document contended solely that Rujm el-Hiri could have represented “a ritual space that integrated certain celestial alignments for a symbolic purpose,” he elaborated in an email.
Additionally, the most recent research publication did not specify to what extent the landscape had rotated and the distance it had shifted from its original location, making it impossible to ascertain if any proposed astronomical alignments were erroneous, according to Krupp.
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