Everyone knows Stonehenge, the ancient English construction about which science knows… well, not much. No one knows exactly how it was used or what for, and no one especially knows how it was built. However, according to research lead by staff at the University of Birmingham, we know one thing: It was not alone. Digital mapping by the The Stonehenge Hidden Landscapes Project reveals that the historic site is surrounded by 17 additional religious monuments, all about the same age.

“This project has revealed that the area around Stonehenge is teeming with previously unseen archaeology and that the application of new technology can transform how archaeologists and the wider public understand one of the best-studied landscapes on Earth,” said Professor Vincent Gaffney, Chair in Landscape Archaeology and Geomatics at the University of Birmingham. “New monuments have been revealed, as well as new types of monument that have previously never been seen by archaeologists. All of this information has been placed within a single digital map, which will guide how Stonehenge and its landscape are studied in the future.”

More than just a monument, the area surrounding Stonehenge appears to have been a major religious mecca for the people of the time. One previously unknown feature includes a long barrow, a burial mound complete with timber infrastructure. In all, hundreds of new features were discovered, including 17 previously undiscovered ritual sites.

The most significant feature is probably the “super henge,” otherwise known as the Durrington Walls. Located about two miles from Stonehenge, its nearly one-mile circumference make it possibly the largest ritual monument of its kind in the world.

Other finds include pillars, pits, and settlements from the Bronze, Iron and Roman ages. In all, the findings are beginning to reshape the way archaeologists think about Stonehenge – rather than an isolated monument, the entire area was a major religious site 11,000 years in the making.

“Using 21st-century techniques, the Stonehenge Hidden Landscapes team have transformed our knowledge of this ancient, precious and very special landscape. Their work has revealed a clutch of previously unsuspected sites and monuments showing how much of the story of this world-famous archaeological treasure house remains to be told,” said Dr Nick Snashall, National Trust Archaeologist for the Avebury and Stonehenge World Heritage Site.