Stonehenge was reportedly occupied thousand of years earlier than previously thought.
Archaeologists have recently made a surprising claim regarding Stonehenge.
An excavation from a nearby site, about a mile from the stone structures, seems to provide evidence that Stonehenge was continuously occupied as early as 7,500 B.C. which is about 5,000 years earlier than what was previously believed.
By carbon dating materials found at the new excavation location, it is now believed it was lived in and not just visited as was previously thought.
A semi-permanent settlement was discovered, showing that human presence was at Stonehenge from 7,500 to 4,700 B.C. Those early settlers could have been responsible for erecting the first monument, the Mesolithic posts.
The Stonehenge research efforts were led by Dr. David Jacques of Open University.
No one knows how Stonehenge was constructed without modern tools or technology. It attracts around one million visitors a year, with about half of them traveling from abroad to see the stone configuration in person.
Last year, the facilities at Stonehenge were slated for renovation. All of the buildings on the grounds were being demolished and also the landscaping and road placement were getting a facelift along with a brand new visitor center.
