The Göbekli Tepe complex in south-eastern Anatolia, Turkey, is an 11,500-year-old stone structure that predates Stonehenge, according to a press release.
The researchers used a computer algorithm to trace the architectural design, particularly three of the monumental round structures of the complex, to determine that the pillars were placed in their particular positions on purpose.
"The layout of the complex is characterized by spatial and symbolic hierarchies that reflect changes in the spiritual world and in the social structure," said researcher Gil Haklay of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Haklay and Avi Gopher, professor of archeology at the University of Tel Aviv, led the project. Their results were published in the May volume of the Cambridge Archaeological Journal.
The Göbekli Tepe complex is said to have been built by hunters and gatherers and has been the subject of archaeological debate since its discovery by the German archaeologist Dr. Klaus Schmidt in 1994.
"Our results suggest that major architectural transformations during this period, such as the transition to rectangular architecture, were top-down, knowledge-based and expertly executed processes," said Haklay.
The discovery is important because it was assumed that architectural planning methods such as geometry and floor plans appeared much later in history, according to the researchers. In fact, some believe that these methods were introduced over 10,500 years ago when hunter-gatherers turned into food-producing farmers.
"This research introduces important information regarding the early development of architectural planning ... It opens the door to new interpretations of this site in general," said Gopher.
Both plan to use the same method to investigate other archaeological sites from the same period.
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