[ti:Scientists Discover Stonehenge-like Circle in Denmark]
[al:Science & Technology]
[ar:VOA]
[dt:2025-03-01]
[by:www.voase.cn]
[00:00.00]Danish researchers have announced the discovery of a collection of wooden pieces placed in a circle that are believed to date back thousands of years ago.
[00:15.14]The team says the wood pieces and some other objects were found during building work in the northwestern Danish town of Aars. 
[00:27.17]The discovery led the researchers to suggest the people who placed the wooden pieces might have been linked to a group who built Britain's famous Stonehenge stone structure.
[00:42.60]A total of 45 ancient wood pieces were discovered underground last week during building, or construction, work.
[00:53.94]The pieces formed a circle about 30 meters across.
[00:59.29]In an email to the French news agency AFP, Sidsel Wahlin of the town's Vesthimmerlands museum described the discovery as "a once in a lifetime find."
[01:15.18]The circle "points to a strong connection with the British henge world," she added.
[01:22.21]The British Museum says on its website the first stones placed at Stonehenge, in southern England, are believed to have started arriving there around 3000 BC.
[01:36.86]The Danish researchers said they were also looking to see whether an inner circle might also exist where the wooden pieces were found.
[01:48.47]Wahlin noted that in the past, other wood circles had been found on the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea.
[01:59.90]But Wahlin said the circle in Aars was "the first one of this larger type that we can properly investigate."
[02:09.96]Archeologists working at the building site also found an ancient settlement that included a leader's grave and a bronze sword.
[02:22.09]Wahlin said her team was still carrying out detailed work in the area in an effort to estimate the age and purpose of the materials.
[02:34.43]In particular, the archeologists are now searching for religious-connected materials known as "ritual deposits."
[02:45.53]These might include flint arrow heads and small knives or daggers.
[02:52.49]Wahlin said the researchers will continue looking for links between the Aars site and other groups, such as those who built Stonehenge.
[03:04.63]She added the influence of other groups had already been found in some objects and graves found in Denmark.
[03:14.34]I'm John Russell.