Nikolaus Franz
Aerial view of the project area “Kreisgrabenanlage & Steinzeitdorf Rechnitz”
The plain that extends to southeast of the Urban Center of Rechnitz, Austrian town in the state of Burgenland, very close to the Hungary border, hides under its apparent tranquility one of the most extraordinary concentrations of prehistoric monumental architecture in Europe.
For centuries, a discreet field on the outskirts of Rechnitz, Austria, kept an old virtually invisible secret.
Hidden under the ripples of the grass were a series of surrounded circular structures in the soil by neolithic communities about 6,500 years ago. Now they were finally revealed.
These vast circles of land, older than Stonehenge and the large pyramids of Giza, offer a fascinating look About the neolithic culture of the region, being described by archaeologists as “a true window for the stone age.”
According to one of the provincial government of Burgenland, the four land circles next to Rechnitz They were so far practically invisible for those who pass through the place.
However, aerial archaeological prospects and geomagnetic surveys conducted between 2011 and 2017 allowed them to detect them. Now archaeologists have started excavations at the scene before the construction of a new archaeological park.
In the latest excavations, “four monumental land structures” were identified in the fields on the outskirts of Rechnitz. Three of these circles of land were classified as District trench plants – Circular Pits – which archaeologists believe were built between 4850 and 4500 BC during the average neolithic.
In addition, these circles are impressive dimensionsabout 110 meters in diameter. For investigators, the size of the structures indicates that the site would have a special importance for the average neolithic communities.
“Due to the existence of three of these monumental structures of V Millennium AC so close to each other, the Site of Rechnitz can be considered a center of supraregional importance of the average neolithic,” he says Nikolaus Franzdirector of Archosta Burgenland.
That is, the circles will probably have been a center of cultural, social or religious relevance. In addition, they also suggest the transition from a way of lifestyle for hunting and recollection to the construction of permanent dwellings, as two neolithic villages were identified in the vicinity.
According to, it is also estimated that the circles have about 6,500 years, which makes them 2,000 years older than Stonehenge and the pyramids of Giza.
THE IMPORTANCE OF STONE AGE PVISE
The discovery of the two nearby neolithic villages has increased the enthusiasm around these circles of land.
Located next to one of the circles, the villages are composed mainly by Neolithic Houses startsl, the time of the so-called “neolithic revolution”, when the communities of hunters-recolent with began to establish themselves and to practice agriculture. Some isolated dials go back to the average neolithic, the same time as the circles were built.
“The excavations open a true window for the stone age”Commented Franz.“ We are learning a lot about the neolithic clans who considered this favorable zone to introduce the cultural techniques of agriculture and cattle raising in what Burgenland is today at VI Milénio AC today After centuries of hunting and recollectionthe gradual fixation of the human being was truly revolutionary. ”
Excavations at the site should extend by the end of September 2025. So far, archaeologists They also identified pitsholes of posts and ceramic fragments characteristic of neolithic villages.
In the long run, the location will be adapted to welcome visitors and boost archaeological and cultural tourism, allowing people around the world to discover the fascinating ancient history of this region.
