Rujm el-Hiri is a vast stone monument near the Sea of Galilee, which has long puzzled archaeologists. Often called the “Stonehenge of the East” or the “Wheel of Ghosts,” the nearly 5,000-year-old maze-like structure spans a diameter of 492 feet. Despite decades of study, its true purpose remains elusive.
But the mystery has taken an unexpected turn. It turns out that the enormous stone circles may not be so unusual after all.
Researchers have identified 28 other large circular stone structures scattered across the surrounding region, most of them previously undocumented. Some are even bigger than Rujm el-Hiri itself. The findings suggest that the famous monument was not an isolated architectural oddity but the most elaborate example of a much wider ancient building tradition.
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