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BGU Researchers Uncover Ancient Stone Circles Across Northern Israel

April 16, 2026

Stone circles and field elements identified in the Golan Heights via aerial survey Credit: Dr. Michal Birkenfeld and Dr. Olga Khabarova

Haaretz—Dr. Michal Birkenfeld, senior lecturer at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) Department of Archaeology, and the Head of the BGU Digital Archaeology Research laboratory, and Uri Berger, a BGU PhD researcher and archaeologist with the Israel Antiquities Authority, are leading new research that is reshaping the understanding of ancient life in northern Israel. Using satellite imagery and advanced remote sensing, the team identified approximately 29 previously undocumented stone circles across the Golan Heights—challenging the long-held belief that the well-known stone circle site of Rujm el Hiri was a unique anomaly and instead revealing a much broader network of circular stone structures embedded in the landscape.

As Haaretz reported, these stone circles suggest a more complex and interconnected regional system tied to early urban

societies. “We argue that Rujm el-Hiri should no longer be treated as an archaeological anomaly, but as part of a larger and previously under-recognized phenomenon,” the research team explains, pointing to a constellation of stone circle sites that may have been constructed and used by agro-pastoral communities navigating both environmental and social challenges.

Birkenfeld emphasized that the discovery of these stone circles marks only the beginning of deeper exploration. “What we did now is remote sensing. Now it’s time for boots on the ground,” she said, underscoring the need for further fieldwork to better understand the age and function of these structures. She added that the findings reframe the region entirely, “It’s not alone and not disconnected from the landscape.”

BGU Researchers Uncover Ancient Stone Circles Across Northern Israel

BGU Researchers Uncover Ancient Stone Circles Across Northern Israel

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