A recent archaeological investigation offers a substantive reassessment of Rujm el-Hiri, a large protohistoric stone complex in the Golan Heights frequently characterised as the “Israeli Stonehenge”.
Rather than interpreting the site as a unique and isolated monument, the study proposes that it constitutes the most elaborate expression of a broader regional tradition of circular stone-built architecture.
Published in PLOS One, the research conducted by Michal Birkenfeld, Olga Khabarova, Lev V. Eppelbaum and Uri Berger documents over 30 large circular basalt structures within a 25-kilometre radius of Rujm el-Hiri, including 28 previously unrecorded examples.
The authors attribute the prior absence of these features in the archaeological record primarily to methodological constraints associated with conventional ground-based survey techniques.
Employing an integrated methodological framework—combining high-resolution satellite imagery, geophysical modelling and spatial analysis—the study identifies a consistent architectural typology.
The structures are characterised by substantial outer walls constructed from basalt fieldstones, typically arranged in concentric configurations and, in many cases, interconnected by radial or orthogonal internal divisions. These recurring design elements indicate a shared constructional logic and suggest a coherent cultural or technological tradition.
Rujm el-Hiri itself, first identified in 1968 through aerial reconnaissance, comprises a central cairn encircled by multiple concentric stone rings, with an overall diameter exceeding 150 metres.
Its function has long been debated, with hypotheses ranging from funerary and ceremonial uses to defensive or astronomical purposes. However, the lack of definitive stratified material and associated settlement evidence has historically limited interpretative certainty.
The present study challenges the longstanding assumption of the site’s isolation by demonstrating the existence of a dense and previously under-recognised distribution of analogous structures across the basalt plateaux of the Golan Heights and adjacent regions.
Analysis of multi-temporal satellite datasets (2004–2024) enabled the identification of these features, many of which remain poorly preserved, partially dismantled, or obscured by subsequent land-use activities.
The circles found appear more structured than in the images of Rujm el-Hiri, since the sizes of some of them are about 50′ to 250′. Other circles feature concentric rings, internal walls and radial structures which are similar, for example. The clusters also highlight repeated occupation or a long-standing use of particular locations. There is a non-random variation of structures found in spaces where most are located on gently sloping terrain or on high plateau sites, and those near some of the water levels on seasonal days.
It indicates that there is a purpose for these structures where agricultural pastures exist in a rural area and those on other land uses are inter-related, as it makes sense to keep on growing and developing the land. Moreover, the common proximity of such monuments with dolmens, tumuli and field-wall networks tells that these were part as large cultural landscape and may have played different roles in ritual, territory and socio-economic affairs.
The study further revisits long-standing hypotheses concerning astronomical alignments at the site. Emerging geophysical and palaeomagnetic evidence indicates that the region has experienced gradual yet measurable tectonic rotation over millennial timescales. As a result, the current orientation of architectural elements is unlikely to reflect their original spatial configuration, introducing significant uncertainty into earlier claims of deliberate celestial alignment and necessitating a more cautious interpretative approach.
A central contribution of the research lies in its methodological advancement, particularly in demonstrating the analytical potential of remote sensing for archaeological prospection. Through the integration of multi-temporal, high-resolution satellite imagery, the study successfully identifies subtle and degraded features that have remained undetected in traditional ground surveys. This approach not only substantially expands the regional archaeological dataset but also prompts a critical reassessment of existing interpretative models shaped by incomplete or biased observational records.
The authors argue that Rujm el-Hiri should no longer be interpreted as an anomalous or isolated construction, but rather as a key locus within a broader, previously under-recognised architectural tradition in the protohistoric southern Levant. Within this framework, large circular stone structures are understood as integral components of a complex cultural landscape, likely embedded in the social organisation, economic strategies and symbolic practices of agro-pastoral communities.
Further research is required to establish a more robust chronological framework and to clarify the functional diversity of these monuments. Nevertheless, the study marks a substantive conceptual shift, repositioning Rujm el-Hiri within a regional system of monumentality and opening new analytical pathways for investigating protohistoric landscape use and spatial organisation.
Header Image Credit : Zeev Atein – CC BY 2.5
Sources : PLOS One
