The mysterious origin of the Stonehenge altar is revealed – 2024-08-17 06:15:50 – 2024-08-17 06:18:49 – 2024-08-17 06:20:46 – 2024-08-17 06:22:53 – 2024-08-17 06:24:52

The megalithic monument Stonehenge continues to reveal secrets about its origin and about the inhabitants of the British Isles in the Bronze Age, after discovering that its altar does not come from Wales, but from Scotland, according to a study published in ‘Nature’.

The research, led by experts from Curtin University, sheds light on one of the most spectacular elements of this famous ring of stones, erected in southern England 5,000 years ago.

Previous studies have suggested that Stonehenge was not always in its present location and may have originated from a Neolithic site in the Preseli Hills in west Wales, some 280 kilometres away.

However, this new work confirms that at least the altar, a six-ton ​​stone block, comes from the northeast of Scotland, according to chemical analysis and dating, which clearly differentiate it from the Welsh samples.

“Our tests found that specific mineral grains in the Altar Stone are mostly between 1 and 2 billion years old, while other minerals are about 450 million years old,” lead author Anthony Clarke said in a statement.

These results, he points out, provide a distinctive chemical fingerprint suggesting that the raw material came from the Orcadian Basin in Scotland, some 750 kilometres from Stonehenge.

“Given its Scottish origin, this raises fascinating questions when considering the technological limitations of the Neolithic era, as to how such a huge stone was transported over long distances around 2600 BC,” he said.

Discovery sheds light on ancient methods of transport

According to co-author Chris Kirkland, the findings have significant implications for understanding the functioning of these ancient communities, their connections and their methods of transport.

The altar’s origin, he points out, highlights the fact that these societies enjoyed a high level of coordination during the Neolithic period, while also presenting a “fascinating” insight into prehistoric Britain.

“Transporting such a large cargo overland from Scotland to southern England would have been extremely difficult, indicating that there was probably a sea route along the British coast,” Kirkland suggests.

This implies, he adds, the existence in that period of long-distance trade networks and broader and more sophisticated levels of social organization than previously believed.

This scenario raises new questions, and the Stonehenge study promises more surprises in the future, predicts Richard Bevins, co-author and professor at Aberystwyth University (Wales).

“Although we can now say that this iconic rock is Scottish and not Welsh, the search is now on to determine exactly where in north-east Scotland the altar came from,” the expert said.