“And that suggests it was either a sanctified area or for some reason was cursed.”
Professor Thomas believes that the Cursus was part of complex of monuments, within which Stonehenge was later constructed.
Other elements include the ‘Lesser Stonehenge Cursus’ and a series of long barrows - all built within a mile of Henge.
He added: “Our colleagues led by a team from Sheffield University have also dated some of the cremated human remains from Stonehenge itself.
“That’s caused another sensational discovery and proves that burial cremation had been taking place at Stonehenge as early as 2900 BC – soon after the monument was first built.
“But what is still so intriguing about the Cursus is that it’s about 500 years older than Henge – that strongly suggests there was a link and was very possibly a precursor.
“We hope more discoveries lie in store when we work on the Eastern end of the Cursus this summer.
“It will be a big step forward in our understanding of this enigmatic monument.”
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Adapted from materials provided by University of Manchester.
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University of Manchester (2008, June 10). 'Cursus' Is Older Than Stonehenge: Archeologists Step Closer To Solving Ancient Monument Riddle. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 27, 2009, from
http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2008/06/080610095001.htm