Y and Z Holes

The holes were discovered in 1923 by William Hawley, who, on removing the topsoil over a wide area, noted them as clearly visible patches of "humus" against the chalk substrate.

[3] Examples of almost every material, both natural and artefactual, that have been found elsewhere at Stonehenge have been retrieved from their fills; this includes pottery of later periods (Iron Age, Romano-British, and Medieval) as well as coins, horseshoe nails, and human remains.

A landscape investigation of the Stonehenge site was conducted in April 2009 and a shallow bank, little more than 10 cm (4 inches) high, was identified between the two hole-circles.

Although unique in many ways, a similarity of form between these holes and the contemporary grave pits under the Bronze Age Barrow mounds has been pointed out.

[6] Attempts at interpreting the methods of construction used in building the stone monument sometimes show the Y and Z Holes used to locate temporary scaffold–like timber structures or A-frames.