The Media Line: Satellite Study Finds Rujm el-Hiri Part of Network of 28 Ancient Stone Circles in Golan Heights  

Satellite Study Finds Rujm el-Hiri Part of Network of 28 Ancient Stone Circles in Golan Heights  

By The Media Line Staff  

Researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev said new satellite imaging has revealed that the ancient stone circles of Rujm el-Hiri in the Golan Heights are part of a broader regional network, challenging the long-held view of the site as an isolated monument.  

The study, published last week in the journal PLOS One, identified at least 28 additional large stone circles across the surrounding region. The findings indicate that Rujm el-Hiri, often referred to as “Israel’s Stonehenge,” represents the most elaborate example of a wider architectural tradition in the proto-historic Levant.  

Using high-resolution satellite imagery and remote sensing technology, researchers surveyed areas that have remained difficult to access due to terrain and other constraints. By examining images across varying seasons, lighting conditions, and vegetation patterns, the team identified field walls, enclosures, and circular structures that had not been previously documented.  

“By combining satellite imagery and environmental analysis, Rujm el-Hiri—once perceived as an almost isolated monument—is revealed as the most impressive and magnificent example of a regional phenomenon,” said Dr. Michal Birkenfeld of Ben-Gurion University’s Department of Archaeology. “These circles, identified through remote sensing and contextualized through geophysical data, invite a reinterpretation of significant proto-historic monuments in the region, recognizing them as integral parts of broader social and economic systems.”  

“The territory of Israel still contains many archeological secrets, which can be revealed through integrated analysis using advance Remote Sensing, surface geophysical methods, and tectonic-morphological methodologies,” said co-author Prof. Lev Appelbaum of Tel Aviv University and Azerbaijan University.  

The newly identified structures share common characteristics, including large circular layouts often exceeding 50 meters in diameter and construction from local basalt fieldstones. Many include internal partitions and are located near seasonal water sources.  

Researchers said the placement and design of the circles suggest they were integrated into agricultural and pastoral land-use systems, serving functions such as gathering sites, territorial markers or seasonal assembly points.  

“Our analysis may have implications for previous interpretations of Rujm el-Hiri’s function,” Birkenfeld said. “While traditional archaeological methods remain essential, this landscape-based perspective allows us to reach a fuller understanding of these monuments within our shared human past.