New research shakes up Stonehenge history

Researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery that challenges long-held beliefs about the origins of Stonehenge’s Altar Stone, one of the most iconic and enigmatic features of the ancient monument.

Stonehenge has always been shrouded in mystery, and just when we think we've unraveled one secret, another emerges, Caliber.Az reports citing the foreign media.

This is especially true for the enigmatic Altar Stone—one of the 80 or so stones that still stand at the ancient site in southern England.

Stonehenge's stones vary in composition and originate from diverse locations, but scholars had long believed they had pinned down the origin of the Altar Stone, the largest of the non-sarsen stones, now partially buried beneath two fallen megaliths. However, new research led by a team from Curtin University has potentially rewritten that narrative, suggesting that the stone, once thought to have originated from Wales, may actually have come from Scotland.

By analyzing the age and chemical makeup of mineral grains within fragments of the six-ton Altar Stone—a massive sandstone block measuring 16 feet by 3 feet located at the heart of the Wiltshire circle—the team developed a precise chemical fingerprint. This fingerprint closely matched rocks from northeast Scotland, distinctly setting it apart from the Welsh bedrock previously believed to be its source.

“Our analysis found that the mineral grains in the Altar Stone are mostly between 1,000 to 2,000 million years old, with some minerals dating back around 450 million years,” said Anthony Clarke, lead author and Ph.D. student at Curtin University’s Timescales of Mineral Systems Group. “This unique chemical fingerprint strongly suggests the stone originated from rocks in the Orcadian Basin, Scotland, located at least 750 kilometers (466 miles) from Stonehenge.”

The Altar Stone, a large slab of greenish Old Red Sandstone, was previously believed to have come from the Brecon Beacons area of southeast Wales. However, the new study, published in *Nature*, challenges this long-held theory.

Richard Bevins, co-author of the study and professor at Aberystwyth University, noted that while the chemical fingerprint points to Scotland, the precise origin of the stone remains to be discovered. Clarke further emphasized that the Scottish origins of the stone raise intriguing questions about how such a massive stone was transported over such a long distance during the Neolithic era, around 2,600 BC.

“The discovery of the Altar Stone’s origins suggests a significant level of societal coordination during the Neolithic period,” said Chris Kirkland, study co-author and Curtin professor. “Transporting such a large stone from Scotland to southern England would have been a monumental task, likely involving a marine shipping route along Britain’s coast. This points to the existence of long-distance trade networks and a more advanced societal organization in prehistoric Britain than previously thought.”