Further evidence for the provenance of the Stonehenge bluestones

U–Pb zircon age constraints for the Ordovician Fishguard Volcanic Group and further evidence for the provenance of the Stonehenge bluestones

New U–Pb zircon ages from rhyolite samples of the Fishguard Volcanic Group, SW Wales, confirm a Middle Ordovician (Darriwilian) age for the group. One of the samples is from Craig Rhos-y-felin, which has recently been identified on petrological and geochemical grounds as the source of much of the debitage (struck flakes) at Stonehenge. Analysis of a Stonehenge rhyolite fragment yields an age comparable with that of the Craig Rhos-y-felin sample. Another Stonehenge fragment, thought to come from orthostat (standing stone) 48 and on petrographical grounds to be derived from the Fishguard Volcanic Group (but not Craig Rhos-y-felin), yields an age also consistent with a Fishguard Volcanic Group source.


Bevins, Richard; Atkinson, Nicola; Ixer, Rob; Evans, Jane (2016): U–Pb zircon age constraints for the Ordovician Fishguard Volcanic Group and further evidence for the provenance of the Stonehenge bluestones. figshare.
https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3518175.v1
Retrieved: 07 37, Oct 20, 2016 (GMT)




There is an excellent summary of the paper at https://mikepitts.wordpress.com/2016/10/20/another-chip-at-the-bluestone-problem/ which even I can understand.