Stonehenge's 'Altar Stone' Originally Came From Scotland And Not Wales, New Research Shows

WASHINGTON (AP) — The ancient ritual meaning of Stonehenge is still a mystery, but researchers are 1 measurement person to knowing really nan famous chromatic circle was created.

The unsocial chromatic lying level astatine nan halfway of nan monument was brought to nan tract successful confederate England from adjacent nan extremity of northeast Scotland, researchers reported Wednesday successful nan diary Nature. It’s not clear whether nan 16-foot (5-meter) chromatic was carried by vessel aliases done onshore — a travel of much than 460 miles (740 kilometers).

“It’s a astonishment that it’s travel from truthful acold away,” said University of Exeter archaeologist Susan Greaney, who was not progressive successful nan study.

For much than a 100 years, scientists believed that Stonehenge’s cardinal sandstone slab — agelong called nan “altar stone” — came from overmuch person Wales. But a study past twelvemonth by immoderate of nan aforesaid researchers showed that nan chromatic didn’t lucifer nan earth science of Wales’ sandstone formations. The existent root of nan chromatic remained chartless until now.

For nan study, nan squad was not permitted to spot distant rocks astatine nan site, but alternatively analyzed minerals successful bits of stone that had been collected successful erstwhile digs, immoderate making love backmost to nan 1840s. They recovered a lucifer successful nan sandstone formations of Orcadian Basin successful northeast Scotland, a region that includes parts of nan extremity of nan Scottish peninsula arsenic good arsenic nan Orkney Islands.

“That geological ‘fingerprint’ isn’t repeated successful immoderate different area of sediment successful nan U.K.,” said Aberystwyth University geologist Nick Pearce, a study co-author.

Greaney said nan difficult logistics of moving nan chromatic specified a agelong region show a precocious level of coordination and taste relationship betwixt these 2 regions of ancient Britain.

Stonehenge was constructed astir 5,000 years ago, pinch stones forming different circles brought to nan tract astatine different times. The placement of stones allows for nan sun to emergence done a chromatic “window” during summertime solstice. The ancient intent of nan altar chromatic — which lies level astatine nan bosom of Stonehenge, now beneath different rocks — remains a mystery.

“Stonehenge isn’t a colony site, but a spot of ceremonial aliases ritual,” said Heather Sebire, elder curator astatine English Heritage, who was not progressive successful nan study. She said that past archaeological excavations had not uncovered grounds of feasting aliases regular surviving astatine nan site.

Previous investigation has shown taste connections — specified arsenic similarities successful pottery styles — betwixt nan area astir Stonehenge and Scotland’s Orkney Islands. Other stones astatine Stonehenge came from occidental Wales.

While Britain is dotted pinch different Neolithic chromatic circles, “the point that’s unsocial astir Stonehenge is nan region from which nan stones person been sourced,” said Aberystwyth University’s Richard Bevins, a study co-author.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from nan Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for each content.

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