Stonehenge's Altar Stone Came from Scotland, Study Reveals
Recent research has identified that the Altar Stone at Stonehenge originated from northern Scotland, rather than Wales as previously believed. Scientists from Curtin University and Aberystwyth University conducted mineral analysis and found a strong geochemical match with the Old Red Sandstone of the Orcadian Basin in northeast Scotland. This overturns a century-long belief about the origins of the bluestone at the center of the prehistoric monument.
The discovery suggests that the stone, which weighs approximately six tonnes, was transported over 430 miles to its current location on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England. The study, published in the journal Nature, raises questions about the technological capabilities of Neolithic people who moved such large stones over great distances. The researchers hypothesize that advanced transport methods, possibly including maritime routes, were employed. This finding indicates a higher level of societal organization and long-distance trade networks in Neolithic Britain than previously understood. The exact timeline and methods of the stone's journey remain subjects for further investigation.
