Researchers from the University of West Bohemia, led by archaeology professor Peter Kristof, have discovered a ritual complex dating back approximately 6,500 years near the village of Khleby in central Bohemia.
According to researchers, this circular complex, which has a diameter of 230 meters, is considered one of the oldest ceremonial structures in Central Europe, predating Stonehenge by about a thousand years.
The circular complex is surrounded by a moat more than 2.5 meters deep. It has 12 entrances randomly distributed along its perimeter. A distinctive feature of its design is the presence of two intersecting observation points. One of these points aligns with the sunrise at the summer solstice and the sunset at the winter solstice. Stonehenge lies on this same axis.
The second axis determines the moon's highest point on the horizon during its approximately 18-year cycle. According to Professor Krishtov, this geometric system allows for the observation of key moments in both the solar and lunar calendars.
Based on animal bones found in the trench, scientists believe the site's entrances were decorated with bull skulls and horns, as bull worship was widespread among ancient European farming societies.
Previous excavations at the site had uncovered the graves of 18 individuals from the Bronze Age Onitis culture (c. 2300–1600 BCE). It is likely that the site still retained its ritual function at that time. However, during the Iron Age (c. 800–1 BCE), a settlement was built on the site of Chelebe.
The temple at Khleby points to the beginning of the use of large ceremonial walls in Central Europe, and to the fact that systematic astronomical observations were carried out here long before the famous massive rocks were built in Western Europe.
