Archaeologists find 7,000-year-old roundel in Prague: report

According to a report by Newsweek. The ancient structure is known as the roundel – it is a large circular structure of a similar age found scattered throughout central Europe.

Although the shapes and patterns of these roundels vary considerably, they are made up of a complex of trenches divided by a number of entrances. The diameter of some of these models exceeds 200 meters, the outlet added.

The precise purpose of this circular structure, which may have been used by a nearby farming community around 7,000 years ago during the Late Neolithic, or New Stone Age, is unknown. These roundels were built between 4600 and 4900 BC. They are about 180 feet (55 meters) in circumference, which is equivalent to the height of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, reported Radio Prague International.

In the Vino district of Prague, one of these roundels is currently under study. The structure has a remarkable level of preservation, according to research to date. The unbroken remains of the palisade troughs, in which the central wooden structure was originally embedded, shocked archaeologists.

Miroslav Kraus, who is currently in charge of the excavations, said Radio Prague International “Despite these discoveries, it is still unclear what purpose these structures served.”

“One of these theories is that it could have been used as an economic center, a center of commerce. It could also have been the center of a religious cult, where rites of passage or rituals related to the period of the year were practiced. Roundels were constructed in the Stone Age, when people had not yet discovered iron. The only tools they could use were made of stone and animal bones Mr. Kraus added.

About 200 roundels have been discovered so far in Central Europe, 35 of them on the territory of the Czech Republic. The 55-meter-diameter roundel at Vino features a distinctive floor design with three independent entrances, the outlet added.