A team of Polish archeologists discovered previously unknown burial mounds shaped in the stone rings similar to the world’s famous site of Stonehenge.

It is dated back to a period between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD., researchers believe it was a place for religious ceremonies and ritual burials. 40 acre site consists of 12 circles in the small village off Odry, each of them having a large stone in the middle, called a stelae that is ringed by 16 to 29 boulders. There are around 600 small mounds, called barrows scattered around the circles and in between. Each of such barrels is believed to contain the remains of between one and three people.

The Polish Stonehenge was discovered near Czaplinek in north-western Poland, while archaeologists from the Koszalin Museum were analyzing a set of previously unknown burial mounds.

This is the Europe’s largest collection of circles left nearly intact. Odry’s site has been preserved so well probably due to the fact that people were ignoring the site for hundreds of years, scared off by the tales of magic, witchcraft and evil waiting for them in the surrounding forest.

As they searched the area around the mounds, they found three were circled by stones that appeared to have once formed a similar configuration to those at Stonehenge, with some standing on and others atop them.

The studying of the site started in the late 19th century. Archaeologists were trying to figure out its origin and purpose. First it was suggested that this was a kind of a calendar or astronomical configuration, but after further studies, the theory was debunked.

The stones have fallen but the archeologists say there’s no question they were once in a stacked Stonehenge formation.

Many visitors claim that the site does hold a mystery, making them feeling a sense of calm and positive energy, relaxing in mind and body. This destination became favorite among dowsers and diviners, while some claim that if you sit just in the middle of the circles, headache and fatigue will vanish forever.

According to Radio Szczecin , the discovery of more than a dozen massive megalithic tombs was made during a research and conservation program carried out by Dr. Agnieszka Matuszewska of the University of Szczecin’s Department of Archaeology in collaboration with Marek Schiller from Dębno.

While the site might be healing indeed, the researchers are still working on explanation of its original story and purpose.

The site is located near Dolice, Western Pomerania

If you wish to visit the place, the small village of Odry is located in 90 km from Gdansk and the easiest way to get there is by car. Once you arrive, plenty of signs will bring you to the Stone Circles.

source: atlasobscura