Stonehenge mystery solved as Altar Stone’s distant origins identified

PERTH, Australia — The secrets of Stonehenge continue to unravel as researchers announce a startling discovery about the monument’s central Altar Stone. According to a new study, this six-ton behemoth did not originate from nearby quarries as previously thought but from the distant shores of northeast Scotland, challenging our perceptions of Neolithic capabilities and trade networks.

Published in Nature, the study not only solves a long-standing archaeological mystery but also provides compelling evidence of extensive trade networks and sophisticated engineering capabilities in prehistoric Britain.

The Altar Stone, a massive sandstone block, has long puzzled archaeologists due to its unique composition among Stonehenge’s other stones. While previous theories suggested it might have originated from Wales or southwest England, this new research definitively points to the Orcadian Basin in Scotland, some 750 kilometers (466 miles) away, as its source.

Led by Anthony J. I. Clarke from Curtin University in Australia, an international team of geologists and archaeologists used cutting-edge analytical techniques to examine microscopic mineral grains within the Altar Stone. By analyzing the age and chemical composition of zircon, apatite, and rutile minerals, the researchers were able to create a distinct “fingerprint” of the stone’s origin.

The team’s findings reveal that the Altar Stone’s mineral composition closely matches that of sandstone from the Orcadian Basin, a geological formation in northeast Scotland that includes the Orkney Islands. This discovery suggests that Neolithic people transported this massive stone over an astonishing distance, likely using a combination of land and sea routes.

“Our analysis found specific mineral grains in the Altar Stone are mostly between 1000 to 2000 million years old, while other minerals are around 450 million years old,” says Clarke. “Given its Scottish origins, the findings raise fascinating questions, considering the technological constraints of the Neolithic era, as to how such a massive stone was transported over vast distances around 2600 BC.”

This feat of transportation is particularly impressive given the technological limitations of the time. The researchers propose that the stone was likely moved by water, utilizing rivers and coastal routes to navigate the challenging terrain between Scotland and southern England. This theory aligns with other evidence of extensive maritime trade during the Neolithic period, including the movement of livestock and stone tools across long distances.

“Transporting such massive cargo overland from Scotland to southern England would have been extremely challenging, indicating a likely marine shipping route along the coast of Britain,” says Chris Kirkland, also from the Timescales of Mineral Systems Group at Curtin. “This implies long-distance trade networks and a higher level of societal organization than is widely understood to have existed during the Neolithic period in Britain.”

The study’s findings have significant implications for our understanding of Neolithic society in Britain. They suggest a level of social organization and long-distance cooperation previously underestimated by archaeologists. The ability to transport such a massive stone over hundreds of kilometers indicates sophisticated planning, engineering skills, and a shared cultural or religious motivation that spanned much of Britain.

Moreover, this research challenges previous assumptions about the sourcing of Stonehenge’s various stones. While it was known that some of the smaller “bluestones” came from Wales, the Altar Stone’s Scottish origin adds a new dimension to the monument’s complex history. It suggests that the builders of Stonehenge drew upon resources from across Britain, perhaps symbolically uniting different regions in the construction of this iconic monument.

The discovery also sheds light on the extensive trade networks that existed in Neolithic Britain. It provides tangible evidence of connections between distant communities, suggesting a level of cultural exchange and shared knowledge that extended far beyond local regions. This interconnectedness may have played a crucial role in the spread of ideas, technologies, and religious practices across ancient Britain.

The transportation of the Altar Stone from Scotland to Salisbury Plain represents not just a feat of engineering but a testament to the shared vision and cooperation of Neolithic communities across Britain. It invites us to reconsider the capabilities of prehistoric societies and the complex social networks that may have underpinned monumental constructions like Stonehenge.

“While we can now say that this iconic rock is Scottish and not Welsh, the hunt will still very much be on to pin down where exactly in the north-east of Scotland the Altar Stone came from,” concludes co-author Professor Richard Bevins from Aberystwyth University.