Historic Seahenge timber circle on loan from Norfolk to go on display at British Museum
Watch a report by ITV News Anglia's Elodie Harper
A prehistoric monument which has been described as a wooden Stonehenge has been loaned to go on display for the first time.
Known as Seahenge, the 4,000-year-old timber circle was discovered on the Norfolk coast near Old Hunstanton in 1998.
It is part of a major new exhibition which has opened at the British Museum in London, exploring the prehistoric world of Stonehenge.
Dr Jennifer Wexler, a curator of the exhibition, said Seahenge was incredibly rare for having survived.
"If Stonehenge is one of the world's most remarkable surviving ancient stone circles, then Seahenge is the equivalent in timber," said Dr Wexler.
"But as it was only rediscovered in 1998, it is still relatively unknown.
"We know about some aspects of the monument, including that it was constructed in the spring and summer of 2049 BC, from mighty oaks.
"But there's much that still eludes us, including exactly what it was used for.
"Perhaps the central upturned trunk was used in funerary rituals to support a dead body. Perhaps entering the circular shrine brought worshippers closer to the otherworld."
Dr Wexler added: "By displaying Seahenge in this exhibition we hope to bring it to a wider audience, and it provides an unparalleled opportunity to time-travel back to the moment when circles of stone and timber were at the heart of people's beliefs."
The aim of the exhibition is to give a better understanding of the people and culture of prehistoric times.
Many of the treasures on display are from East Anglia, where the boggy soil aided preservation.
There are finds from Must Farm near Peterborough, including domestic materials such as beads and spindles of thread. There is the head of a giant auroch - a now extinct form of wild cattle - with an axe head still embedded in its skull, from Cambridge.
Intricate bronze swords from Norfolk also show that our prehistoric ancestors traded over the channel.
One of the most striking exhibits is the Nebra Sky disc made of Cornish gold and bronze from central Europe. It is the oldest known material representation of the Cosmos, dating from around 1600 BC.
The exhibition runs at the British Museum until 17 July.