The improbable 800 km journey of Stonehenge’s centre stone, and why that matters

Sub: History

Sec: Ancient India

Context:

Latest geochemical analysis suggests that the six-tonne monolith Altar Stone partially buried at the heart of Stonehenge was brought to its present location from Orcadian Basin, 800 km away in the far north of Scotland.
Earlier, it was believed to have come from Wales.

Study and findings:

The latest study focused on the origin of the Altar Stone, a partially buried slab of sandstone lying at the centre of the stone circle.
The study used dating and chemical analysis of tiny zircon, rutile and apatite crystals from fragments of the centre stone to trace its source to the Old Red Sandstone formations in the Orcadian Basin in the northeast of Scotland and the Orkney Islands.
The findings of the study show that the construction of Stonehenge was a far greater collaborative effort than scientists previously realised, and suggests that neolithic Britain might have been far more integrated than previously thought.

About Stonehenge:

Stonehenge is a prehistoric megalithic structure on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire,
There is no clarity on why, how and by whom it was built.
Construction at Stonehenge began roughly 5,000 years ago, with changes and additions made over the next two millennia.
The site’s iconic stone slabs are divided into two groups.
- The first group includes 30 tall, upright sarsens (sandstone blocks impregnated with silica) which make up the outer circle.
- The second group is made of about 80 bluestones, which research suggests came from the Mynydd Preseli mountains in western Wales.
It is considered as a British cultural icon.
The site was was added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites in 1986.

An improbable journey

The exact reasons and method used for the transportation of the Altar Stone from Scotland to Stonehenge remains unclear.