AMSTERDAM: Archaeologists have discovered a 4,000-year-old sanctuary made up of ditches and burial mounds in the central Netherlands that they believe may have served a similar purpose to Stonehenge.

Like the famous stone circle in southern England, the sanctuary which was as big as at least three soccer fields and built with soil and wood was built to align with the sun on the solstices.

The archaeologists also discoveredofferings, including animal skeletons, human skulls and valuable items such as a bronze spearhead, at the spots where the sun shone through the openings, according to a statement from the municipality of Tiel, a town around 70 km east of Rotterdam where the site was excavated.

`The largest mound served as a sun calendar, similar to the famous stones of Stonehenge in England,` said the statement.-Reuters