© Press AssociationMysterious: A row of ancient stones which mirror the path of the sun like Stonehenge have been discovered in Dartmoor and may 1,000 years older than the famous site.
The discovery of the megaliths has thrilled archaeologists and once again raised debate about the purpose of Stonehenge, which is 120 miles away on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire.
The nine stones at Cut Hill, one of the highest points on Dartmoor in Devon, have been carbon-dated to around 3,500BC.
It means they pre-date Stonehenge, which was not begun before 3,000BC.
Both monuments appear to be clearly aligned to mark the rising of the midsummer sun and the setting of the midwinter sun, suggesting they had religious or astronomical associations.
Archaeologists are debating whether the find adds credence to the theory that Stonehenge was linked to prehistoric death rituals or whether it was seen by ancient Britons as a centre of healing.
Mike Pitts, of British Archaeology magazine, said: 'This is a spectacular find and its alignment on the Solstice sun, at the exact same angle as Stonehenge, gives us fresh insights into the knowledge of Stone Age people.'
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