Stonehenge Altar Stone came from Scotland, not Wales - PR from Aberystwyth University

 Stonehenge Altar  Stone came from  Scotland, not Wales 

The largest “bluestone” at the heart of  Stonehenge came from northern  Scotland, not Wales, according to new  research.  

Published in the journal Nature, the study  analysed the age and chemistry of  minerals from fragments of the Altar  Stone. 

The findings show a remarkable similarity  between the Old Red Sandstone of the  Orcadian Basin in northeast Scotland and  the Stonehenge Altar Stone. 

Construction at Stonehenge began 5,000  years ago, with changes and additions  over the next two millennia. 

Although it is unclear when the Altar  Stone arrived at Stonehenge, it may have  been placed within the world-renowned  central horseshoe of stones during the second construction phase at around  2620 – 2480 BC.  

For the past hundred years, the iconic  six-tonne Altar Stone at the heart of the  ancient site was believed to have come  from Wales. 

The majority of Stonehenge’s world renowned ‘bluestones’ came from the  Preseli Hills area in west Wales and are  believed to have been the first stones  erected at the Wiltshire site. 

The Altar Stone, a sandstone, has  traditionally been grouped with these  other, smaller, igneous bluestones.  

However, the Altar Stone’s origins had  remained an open question, until now. 

According to the new research involving  scientists at Aberystwyth University, UCL, Curtin University and the University of  Adelaide, both the chemical composition  and the ages of mineral grains in the  sandstone indicate it is very likely to have  come from northeast Scotland. 

The scientists used their analysis of the  ages of the mineral grains to create a  ‘fingerprint’ of the source of those grains.  They matched ages found in rocks of the  Orcadian Basin found in the north-east of  Scotland, and are completely different  from Welsh-sourced stones.  

Co-author Professor Richard Bevins from  Aberystwyth University said: “These findings are truly remarkable - they overturn what had been thought for  the past century. We have succeeded in  working out, if you like, the age and  chemical fingerprints of perhaps one of  the most famous of stones in the world renowned ancient monument.  

“It’s thrilling to know that our chemical  analysis and dating work has finally  unlocked this great mystery. We can now  say that this iconic rock is Scottish and  not Welsh. Although we can say that  much, and confidently – the hunt will still  very much be on to pin down where  exactly in the north-east of Scotland the  Altar Stone came from.” 

The new discovery implies that one of the  most famous stones in the world was  moved much further than had been  believed - at least 700 km (435 miles). 

Anthony Clarke from the Timescales of  Mineral Systems Group at Curtin  University said: 

“Considering the technological constraints  of the Neolithic, our findings raise  fascinating questions about how such  massive stone was able to be transported  over the vast distance implied. Given  major overland barriers en route from  north-east Scotland to Salisbury Plain, marine transport is one feasible option.” 

Co-author Dr Robert Ixer of the UCL  Institute of Archaeology said: “This is a genuinely shocking result, but if plate  tectonics and atomic physics are correct,  then the Altar Stone is Scottish. The work  prompts two important questions: why  and exactly how was the Altar Stone  transported from the very north of  Scotland, a distance of more than 700  kilometres, to Stonehenge?” 

While the research does not provide  direct evidence about how the Altar Stone  got to its world-famous location in  Wiltshire, the revelation that it travelled  so far will raise questions about its  journey given the limits of human  technology during Neolithic times.  

Professor Nick Pearce from Aberystwyth  University added: 

“This stone has travelled an awful long  way – at least 700 km - and this is the  longest recorded journey for any stone  used in a monument at that period. The  

distance travelled is astonishing for the  time. While the purpose of our new,  empirical research was not to answer the  question of how it got there, there are  obvious physical barriers to transporting  by land, but a daunting journey if going  by sea. There’s no doubt that this  Scottish source shows a high level of  societal organisation in the British Isles  during the period. These findings will  have huge ramifications for understanding  communities in Neolithic times, their  levels of connectivity and their transport  systems. "Hopefully, people will now start to look  at the Altar Stone in a slightly different  context in terms of how and when it got  to Stonehenge, and where it came from. I  am sure this will lead to some new  thinking about the development of  Stonehenge and its links to the rest of  Neolithic Britain.” 

The new research builds on findings  published by Aberystwyth University and  UCL researchers last year in the Journal  of Archaeological Science: Reports that  cast doubt on the Altar Stone’s Welsh  origins, and suggested that it should not  be classified as a bluestone. 

This study was supported by a  

Leverhulme Trust Emeritus Fellowship,  Salisbury Museum and Amgueddfa Cymru  – Museum Wales and funded by an  Australian Research Council Discovery  Project. It was a collaboration between  Aberystwyth University, Curtin University,  the University of Adelaide, and UCL. 

ENDS