Neubauer, Wolfgang/Kowatschek, Ingrid Älter als Stonehenge. Monumente der Steinzeit in Österreich

Stonehenge is probably the most famous stone monument in the world and has always exerted an unbroken fascination on people. Few people know that the first circular monumental buildings in Central Europe were erected in Austria almost two thousand years before
the stone monument. This is because no above-ground remains of these monumental structures have been preserved, as they were built of wood and earth, unlike Stonehenge.

These so-called circular burial sites were discovered from the air and through ground radar and magnetic measurements. The approximately 50 sites in Austria consist of one to four concentric ditches with diameters of up to 180 metres and depths of up to six metres. The circular trenches enclosed an inner space, which was additionally surrounded by several concentric palisades made of metre-high wooden posts. Raised monuments: The circular ditches were built around 7000 years ago with an enormous amount of work and were an essential part of the settlements of early farming cultures. In this anthology, leading researchers investigate the function and significance of these extraordinary structures and the lives of their builders. In addition to the study of the circular ditches, their function and possible astronomical references, cult and religion, art and technology, the treatment of nature, agriculture and nutrition are also addressed.