Aerial photos of massive stone circles in Jordan and in other part of the Middle East are raising a host of questions that have yet to be satisfactorily answered.

Archaeologists from Jordan took aerial photos of 11 ancient "Big Circles" 1,312 feet in diameter. All circles look almost identical to each other. This similarity should be more than just mere coincidence, believes David Kennedy, co-director of the Aerial Photographic Archive for Archaeology in the Middle East (APAAME).

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These Big Circles are low stone walls a few feet high. But an odd feature of these circles is that they've no openings. Researchers presume people had to climb over the walls to get inside.

To date, it's still not clear to archaeologists why these circles were built. Archaeologists, however, have analyzed the photos and other data. They estimate the stone circles were built at least 2,000 years ago and could even date to prehistoric times.

The Big Circles were first spotted by an aircraft during the 1920s. Despite this, only few scientists today know about these structures.

Kennedy said an expedition will be mounted to collect data and make these sites better known worldwide. The aerial footage will help archaeologists better understand how these structures came about.

Apart from the 11 documented circles, researchers have also identified a similar but partially built circle in Jordan. There are many smaller stone circles scattered all over the Middle East but these 11 Big Circles are considered the most massive and ancient.

Kennedy presumes an architect was present during the construction of these circles considering the circles are almost similar in size, shape and appearance. Other features of the circles include cairns or rock piles used for burials. Kennedy believes, however, that the cairns were built long after the circles were made.

Apart from stone circles, Kennedy and his team found thousands of other stone structures in other Middle Eastern locations. These structures have different shapes such as wheels, kites, pendants and walls whose purpose remains an enigma until today. Kennedy says fieldwork is necessary to further study these ancient relics.

This paper detailing the circles was published in the journal, Zeitschrift für Orient Archäologie.

TagsAncient Stone Circles in Middle East Still a Mystery to Archaeologists, stone circles middle east jordan, aerial photos stone circles middle east