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Stonehenge's 6-Tonne Altar Stone Traced 450 Miles to Scotland's Orcadian Basin

Aug 14, 2024, 04:36 PM

New research has revealed that the Altar Stone at the heart of Stonehenge, a six-tonne sandstone block, originated from the Orcadian Basin in northeast Scotland, rather than from Wales as previously thought. This discovery challenges long-held beliefs about the origins of Stonehenge's stones and suggests that ancient builders transported the stone over 450 miles to its current location in Wiltshire, England, around 5,000 years ago. The study, published in the journal Nature, utilized chemical fingerprinting techniques to trace the stone's origins, indicating that Neolithic societies may have had more advanced transportation methods than previously believed. The stone's journey may have included routes from John o'Groats, and it was possibly used in sun-worship. This finding has significant implications for understanding the collaborative efforts involved in the construction of Stonehenge and the potential existence of long-distance trade networks in Neolithic times.