In August, a team of archaeologists collaborated with local volunteers to embark on an excavation project at Drumadoon, revealing what is likely the sole intact Neolithic cursus monument ever discovered in Britain.

These expansive rectangular enclosures, dating back to a period spanning from 4000 to 3000 BC, are believed to have served as dedicated spaces for processions, ceremonies, and gatherings.

Importantly, they were intentionally separate from everyday settlements and agricultural lands.

Varied in size, ranging from 200 meters to as long as 10 kilometers, these monuments were delineated by ditches, embankments, or sometimes substantial oak posts, the Guardian reported.

They stand as some of the largest and earliest monumental constructions ever identified in the British Isles.

The Arran cursus, measuring approximately 1.1 kilometers in length, is situated in proximity to the Machrie Moor stone circles, which unquestionably held significant ceremonial importance for ancient communities, even though it predates their construction.

The individuals responsible for constructing the cursus, who were among the earliest farmers in Scotland, might have employed it as a means to guide visitors, yet its primary purpose was predominantly for creating a striking spectacle.

Written by staff