Neolithic 'temple' unearthed in the southern Urals

For nine years Bashkir scientists have been engaged in the excavation of a monument found in Russia's Uchalinsky district, two kilometers from the village of Novo-Bayramgulova. 

The remains of the Neolithic 'astronomical temple' unearthed in the Russian territory of Bashkiria [Credit: Pravda]

Studying aerial photographs, scientists detected the 'circular' structure, about fifty meters in diameter, which they believe may be the ruins of a Neolithic 'astronomical temple' comparable to Stonehenge.

According to Vitaly Fedorov, head of the archaeological expedition of the Academy VEGU (Eastern Economics and Law University for the Humanities), associate professor of Russian History, the structure is more rectangular than circular in shape and was built about five thousand years ago.

That this enigmatic structure is likely to be a prehistoric temple is suggested by the fact that its corners are oriented towards the rising sun and moon. 

A 37 metre inner ditch, one metre wide and seventy centimetres deep, was also identified at the site, though its function remains a mystery.

Unfortunately, the walls of the building have not been preserved. 

According to local residents, many boulders were once scattered over the site, but most of the rubble was removed by tractors during the 1980s.

Archaeologists have found similar circular stone structures elsewhere in the region, though these are at least five times smaller. 

Among the finds unearthed at the site were bone and stone arrowheads, bone awls, pendants and amulets made of animal bones, bronze plates, numerous stone tools, including a knife for cutting meat, and ceramic fragments. 

Several fortified settlements have been excavated in the Southern Urals, all of which have a circular structure. The prevailing theory is that the region was settled by an Indo-European tribe, most likely of Iranian origin. 

Author: Igor Bukker | Source: Pravda [February 05, 2013]