Overview
- In March 2026, researchers reported at least 28 to 29 previously undocumented large stone circles within roughly 25 kilometers of Rujm el‑Hiri in the Golan Heights.
- The team used high‑resolution satellite images taken in different seasons, light, and plant growth to reveal basalt rings, field walls, and enclosures that blend into the rocky terrain.
- Many of the circles follow a shared plan of concentric walls built from local basalt and cluster near seasonal water sources, old field systems, dolmens, and graves.
- The authors argue Rujm el‑Hiri remains the most elaborate example of a wider tradition and say on‑site surveys and excavations are needed to establish age and function.
- Reports in Haaretz, EurekAlert, and Newsweek note possible roles such as ritual gathering places or territorial markers but stress that only digs can show how people actually used these sites.