2. The Goseck Circle: The German Neolithic astronomical Clock that predates the pyramids and combines advanced science with grizzly superstition.
In 1991, archaeologists conducting a routine aerial circle around the small town of Goseck in Germany were astonished when they made an entirely unlooked for discovery. For on the ground below them were the shadowy remains of a previously undiscovered 75-meter wide circle, cut through at three points. In 2002, Archeologists began to excavate the site. Their findings revealed that the Goseck circle as it became known consisted of two palisaded rings, cut through with three sets of gates. These gates were aligned with sunrise and sunset at the solstices.
The alignment of the gates suggests that Goseck was designed and constructed as an ancient solar observatory. However, the precision and the astronomical know-how of the designers and builders of the sites amazed archaeologists because Goseck was built around 4900 BC during the European Neolithic, meaning the site predated the pyramids. It was in use for two centuries before being inexplicably abandoned. However, Goseck contained an additional, grizzlier mystery.
During the excavations, archaeologists also found a headless skeleton at the southeastern gate of the circle. They also uncovered the remains of fires and human and animal bones with deliberate cut marks upon them. These cuts suggested deliberate “defleshing” was occurring on the site. Whether this activity is related to human sacrifice or a specific type of burial ritual, the curious coupling of advanced knowledge and primitive rituals at Goseck makes the society behind the construction of the Goseck circle a continuing conundrum.