The Rujm el-Hiri site in the Golan Heights has been shrouded in mystery as new research indicates that it may not have been an astronomical observatory as originally theorized, according to a November study published by Tel Aviv University and the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
The study, titled “Discussion Points of the Remote Sensing Study and Integrated Analysis of the Archaeological Landscape of Rujm el-Hiri,” was published in the peer-reviewed journal Remote Sensing, which covers the science and application of remote sensing technology.
Dr. Olga Khabarova and Prof. Lev Eppelbaum of the Department of Geophysics at the Porter School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, TAU, and Dr. Michal Birkenfeld of the Department of Archaeology at BGU led the research team for the study.
One previous theory of the site was that its walls and entrances aligned with astronomical bodies, but because the site has rotated counterclockwise and shifted from its original position, it does not correspond to celestial observations.
"The study was based on calculations of the sky map and aligning the directions of the solstices, equinoxes, and other celestial bodies as they appeared between 2500–3500 BCE, coordinated with the symmetry and entrances of Rujm el-Hiri in its current position,” the research team stated. “The findings show that the entrances and radial walls during that historical period were entirely different, reopening the question of the site's purpose.”
The science of remote sensing involves obtaining information about objects or areas from a distance, generally using techniques such as satellite imagery, aerial photography, or ground-penetrating radar.
From geomagnetic analysis and tectonic reconstruction, the researchers determined the shifts in the ground were caused by geodynamic movement for over 150 million years, at an average rate of 8-15 mm per year. Researchers analyzed multi-year satellite imagery covering the 30 km region surrounding the Sea of Galilee, according to the study.
Arabic and Hebrew meanings of the Golan Heights-site
The Arabic name, Rujm el-Hiri, of the estimated 5,000-year-old site means “stone heap of the wild cat.”
Its Hebrew name, Gilgal Refaim, means “wheel of giants.” The latter name refers to an ancient race of giants mentioned in the Bible. The structure is made of piles of thousands of basalt rocks that together weigh more than 40,000 tons.
Researchers identified several landscape features at the site, including circular structures with diameters of 40–90 meters, thick walls, round enclosures approximately 20 meters in diameter (possibly used for agriculture or herding), and numerous burial mounds (tumuli) that may have also served as storage facilities, shelters, or dwellings, according to TAU.
There are possible parallels between this site and other monumental Mediterranean structures from the same Chalcolithic/Early Bronze Age period, according to the study.
“The similarities in structure, such as concentric circles and radial walls, highlight the need for further interdisciplinary research that combines archaeological, geophysical, and paleoenvironmental data to understand these monuments’ origins and purposes better,” the researchers concluded.
The research was partially funded by the Center for Absorption in Science, Ministry of Immigration and Absorption, State of Israel.
Reuters contributed to this report.