For many years, Stonehenge has baffled archaeologists, and despite advances in technology, fresh discoveries continue to deepen the enigma. Recently, experts found out that one of Stonehenge’s Altar Stones, once believed to be from Wales, actually originated in scotland, roughly 1000 kilometers away. This new information has sparked curiosity about how such a large, six-ton stone was moved 5,000 years ago. Reports from The Washington Post indicate that Neolithic people likely transported the stone, even before the invention of the wheel, across challenging terrain and dense forests. Another hypothesis proposes that the stone might have been moved by sea.
Heather Sebire, senior curator at Stonehenge for english Heritage, suggests that moving such a gigantic stone could have taken over 10 years. She finds the new discovery remarkable. PhD student Anthony Clarke, who led the research, examined two minute samples of the stone, each thinner than a strand of hair, to determine its origins. According to a Curtin university statement, Clarke said, “Our analysis revealed that the mineral grains in the Altar Stone predominantly date back between 1000 to 2000 million years, with some minerals around 450 million years old. This provides a unique chemical signature indicating that the stone came from rocks in the Orcadian Basin, scotland, at least 750 kilometers from Stonehenge. Given the stone's Scottish origins, the findings pose intriguing questions about how such a massive stone was transported over such great distances around 2600 BC, considering the Neolithic era's technological limitations.”
Professor chris Kirkland from Curtin university remarked that determining the origin of the Altar Stone showcases the sophistication of Neolithic societies. Moving such a large stone from scotland to southern england would have been a monumental task. He also suggested that ancient people might have utilized sea routes for transportation.
Geologists are 95% confident that the Altar Stone is composed of Old red Sandstone from the Orcadian Basin in northeast Scotland. The primary structure of Stonehenge, formed by large sarsen stones, were sourced from local quarries, whereas the outer circle consists of smaller bluestones transported from quarries in Wales.
click and follow Indiaherald WhatsApp channel