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Ancient Stone Circles in Mideast Baffle Archaeologists
Live Science ^ | October 30, 2014 07:49am ET | Owen Jarus,

Posted on 10/31/2014 10:45:18 AM PDT by BenLurkin

Their purpose is unknown, and archaeologists are unsure when these structures were built. Analysis of the photographs, as well as artifacts found on the ground, suggest the circles date back at least 2,000 years, but they may be much older. They could even have been constructed in prehistoric times, before writing was invented, scientists say.

Though the Big Circles were first spotted by aircraft in the 1920s, little research has focused on these structures, and many scientists are not even aware of their existence, something these archaeologists hope the new aerial images will help to change.

The "most important contribution is simply to collect and make known a large group of rather remarkable sites," writes Kennedy, a professor at the University of Western Australia, in an article published recently in the journal Zeitschrift für Orient Archäologie.

In addition to the 11 photographed circles, researchers have identified another similar circle in Jordan, which appears to have been only partially completed, Kennedy noted. Old satellite imagery also reveals two circles, one in Jordan and another in Syria, which have both been destroyed. The circle in Syria was destroyed within the last decade and the one in Jordan a few decades ago. A separate research team, from Durham University, investigated the Syria circle before it was completely gone.

While there are many smaller stone circles in the Middle East, what makes these 11 Big Circles stand out is their large size and ancient age, Kennedy said.

(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...


TOPICS: History
KEYWORDS: animalhusbandry; archaeoastronomy; desertkites; domestication; gazelles; geoglyphs; goats; godsgravesglyphs; harrat; horse; horses; hunting; hyena; ibex; jordan; megaliths; orbitalarchaeology; remotesensing; satellitearchaeology; saudiarabia; syria; yemen
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To: BenLurkin

Maybe they were part of “stone age” people’s version of “circle the wagons” as a form of defensive
structures.


21 posted on 10/31/2014 2:26:49 PM PDT by Wuli
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To: SunkenCiv
The Ancient City of Firuzabad

PERSIA

source

22 posted on 10/31/2014 2:50:10 PM PDT by Fred Nerks (fair dinkum...)
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To: Hot Tabasco

More likely with traps, seines and gillnets ... there wasn’t the leisure time we have today then ... get the food and move on to other necessities.


23 posted on 10/31/2014 3:20:00 PM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now it is your turn ...)
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To: Fred Nerks

Obviously they had their ancient tax payers money to burn and this is the first known “round about” know to mankind. What a find!!!


24 posted on 10/31/2014 3:46:47 PM PDT by Bellflower (The LORD is Holy, separated from all sin, perfect, righteous, high and lifted up.)
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To: DonaldC

Until the funding comes in and then they’ll tell you what funder wants to hear.


25 posted on 10/31/2014 5:48:58 PM PDT by 1010RD (First, Do No Harm)
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To: BenLurkin

The answer is obvious. Just as the natives in New Guinea built replicas of airplanes as part of the cargo cult, beseeching the return of the Gods in their flying vehicles with so much in the way of goodies, these huge circles were putative landing sites for the mother ships.

The natives were trying to lure the Ancient Aliens back to Earth.

(Well, its as good a theory as any)


26 posted on 10/31/2014 7:54:10 PM PDT by wildbill (If you check behind the shower curtain for a murderer, and find one... what's your plan?)
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To: wildbill
"(Well, its as good a theory as any)"

Certainly a better theory than the great pyramids and sphinx were built during the Egyptian Fourth Dynasty.
27 posted on 11/02/2014 11:43:16 AM PST by KamperKen
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To: BenLurkin

Mephisto’s trapezoid.


28 posted on 11/02/2014 11:53:58 AM PST by Flag_This (You can't spell "treason" without the "O".)
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To: DBrow

maybe the bafflement is in how to prove it, since this seems to be the most likely explanation, at least to me...


29 posted on 11/02/2014 2:40:43 PM PST by SteveH (First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win.)
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