Rujm el-Hiri is, of course, a very well-known site, and it was always considered to be a very unique site in the area,” [archaeologist Michal] Birkenfeld said. “Most [of the sites we discovered] were not as elaborate and were of different sizes and levels of preservation, but they still have the same type of logic.”Last year I mentioned the site of Rujm el-Hiri as one of those pre-Israelite megascale constructions which may have given the Israelites the idea that giants lived in the land long ago. This site is especially fun because its traditional nickname is Gilgal Refa'im, "wheel of ghosts" or, in biblical context, possibly "wheel of giants." The purpose of the site remains debated.“If this is the case, it also impacts the way we can interpret these sites,” Birkenfeld explained, adding that they have also found that there are similar sites further away, including in the Galilee and in Lebanon.
The question is connected to how to understand the original one at Rujm el-Hiri, which remains surrounded by enigmas.
Now it appears that Rujm el-Hiri is far from unique. The new research indicates there were dozens of such prehistoric circular megalitic monuments in the region. No wonder the Israelites thought there used to be giants in the land!
The underlying article is open access at Plos One:
Reassessing Rujm el-Hiri: Aerial imagery and stone circles in the proto-historic Southern LevantMichal Birkenfeld , Olga Khabarova, Lev V. Eppelbaum, Uri Berger
Published: March 18, 2026
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0339952Abstract
Rujm el-Hiri has long been considered one of the most enigmatic archaeological monuments in the Southern Levant. Variously interpreted as a funerary, ceremonial, or astronomical locale, it has been the centre of multiple studies spanning over more than 50 years. While traditionally viewed as an isolated protohistoric monument, our study reveals it as the most elaborate example of a widespread regional tradition of large, circular basalt stone structures. This study presents a comprehensive regional reassessment of these large circular stone structures in the basalt highlands surrounding Rujm el-Hiri, revealing over 30 previously undocumented examples within a 25 km radius. Utilizing high-resolution satellite imagery, geophysical modelling, and spatial analysis, we document a consistent architectural tradition characterized by concentric and radial basalt walls, often associated with dolmens, tumuli, and field systems. These structures exhibit similarities in design and landscape placement, frequently located near seasonal water sources and integrated within broader agro-pastoral land-use networks. Our findings challenge the view of Rujm el-Hiri as an isolated monument, instead situating it within a wider phenomenon of protohistoric monumental architecture in this region. This expanded dataset provides new perspectives on landscape organization and monumentality in the protohistoric southern Levant. The application of remote sensing techniques proves crucial in overcoming previous survey limitations, revealing a complex and interconnected archaeological landscape hitherto underappreciated.
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