Neolithic timber platform older than Stonehenge found in Scottish loch

• Archaeologists have revealed a substantial timber platform beneath a stone artificial island, known as a crannog, in Loch Bhorgastail on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland.
• The crannog, which predates Stonehenge, was initially constructed over 5,000 years ago during the Neolithic period (around 3500-3300 BC) and later saw additions in the Middle Bronze Age and Iron Age.
• Researchers from the University of Southampton and University of Reading employed excavation, radiocarbon dating, and innovative stereophotogrammetry to uncover the structure's hidden details and its developmental stages.
• The discovery of a coherent, large timber base and numerous Neolithic pottery fragments indicates the presence of complex ancient communities capable of significant engineering feats in Scotland.
• A novel technique for shallow-water photogrammetry, utilising two waterproof cameras on a frame, was developed during fieldwork to accurately map the submerged sections of the crannog.