Long before Stonehenge became Stonehenge, it may have had a rough draft in wood.

Archaeologists in southern England say they have found a structure near the prehistoric stone circle that may have served as a “prototype” for the 5,000-year-old monument.

The discovery was made at Bulford, about 5 kilometres from Stonehenge, by a team from the British firm Wessex Archaeology. Researchers said the site would have consisted of two wooden poles set 120 metres apart. The poles were aligned with the rising sun during the summer solstice and the setting sun during the winter solstice.

That matters because Stonehenge itself is famous for its alignment with the sun. For generations, researchers have studied how the monument lines up with the summer and winter solstices, giving weight to the idea that it may have served as a temple or ceremonial site linked to the movements of the sun.

But this newly announced structure appears to be older.

Researchers said the Bulford site predates Stonehenge by about 500 years, suggesting people in the area may have been gathering to mark the solstices before the great stones were ever raised on Salisbury Plain.

The team was led by archaeologist Phil Harding, who is well known in the U.K. for his work on the Channel 4 series “Time Team.”

Harding, 76, said the site also produced a rich collection of finds, including pottery, animal bones and a rare disc-shaped knife. He said the evidence points to a place that likely drew people together for major religious gatherings.

“Opportunities like this probably only come once in a career, in a lifetime,” Harding said. “I’m probably towards the end of my career now, but thank God I’m still in archaeology long enough to be part of this discovery, because it’s certainly the highlight of my career.”

The announcement came just ahead of the summer solstice, which falls this year on Sunday. Every year, thousands of people travel to Stonehenge to watch the sun rise on the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

Stonehenge remains one of Britain’s best-known historic sites. The World Heritage Site was built in stages starting about 5,000 years ago, with its famous stone circle erected in the late Neolithic period around 2,500 B.C.

Its meaning is still debated. Some theories have described it as a coronation site for Danish kings, a druid temple, a healing centre or an astronomical tool for predicting eclipses and solar events.

The most widely accepted idea is that it was a temple aligned with the sun.

The dig at Bulford took place between 2015 and 2017 as part of archaeological work tied to a British Ministry of Defence program to accommodate troops withdrawn from Germany. The area around Stonehenge is one of the largest military training grounds in the U.K., and Bulford is home to a barracks.

Researchers spent years analyzing and testing the material before releasing their findings.

For Harding, the timing adds something special. As thousands gather at Stonehenge this weekend, many dressed as druids and pagans, they will be continuing a ritual that may be far older than the stones themselves.

“What few will realize is that 5,000 years ago on a nearby hillside overlooking modern day Bulford, people were doing the exact same thing — revering and celebrating the sunrise on Midsummer’s Day,” said Harding.

Read more from CTV News.