In September 2014 archaeologists discovered an encampment  about 1.5  miles away from Stonehenge. Using carbon dating it has taken until now to be able to determine the age of the encampment to be around 6,000 years old.

Canada Now reports:

The site of the encampment has been named Blick Mead and it is about 1.5 miles from the Stonehenge monument. Archaeologists tested charcoal remains at the Blick Mead site and carbon dating determined that these charcoal remains date from around 4,000 B.C which is hundreds and possibly even a thousand years before Stonehenge was constructed.

Archaeologists also uncovered a number of other remains and artifacts that point to a settlement or encampment being present in the area around Stonehenge. Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of large cattle called Aurochs, the ancestors of our modern cows and bulls that were eaten by early hunter gatherers at Blick Mead. In addition to cattle remains archaeologists have found burnt flints used to start fires for cooking and warmth and other tools such as primitive knives. The newly discovered Blick Mead site probably attracted early hunter gatherers in Britain because of a natural spring in the area providing a steady source of fresh water for both humans and animals and rare algae that has changed the color of native rocks from brown to pink. No doubt this area would have been an excellent place to have a settlement or encampment.

Historians and anthropologists believe that artifacts and structures from the Blick Mead site could shed light onto the pre-history of Stonehenge and its inhabitants which has long remained a mystery. There are still buildings that need to be studied such as a 33 meter long wooden structure that was possibly used for ritual burials that was unearthed at the Blick Mead site this September.

Archaeologists and historians are concerned for the future of the site due to a plan to build a tunnel beneath the Stonehenge landscape in order to divert traffic from the nearby A303. The Department of Transport have said the will consult with experts to ensure the planned tunnel project does not disturb historical and cultural areas and artifacts.