A Scottish Provenance for the Altar Stone of Stonehenge
Recent research reveals the Altar Stone at Stonehenge originates from the Orcadian Basin in Scotland, indicating advanced Neolithic transport methods and enhancing understanding of prehistoric connectivity in Britain.
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Recent research has identified the Scottish origin of the Altar Stone at Stonehenge, a significant megalith in the Neolithic stone circle located in southern England. The study analyzed detrital zircon, apatite, and rutile grains from fragments of the Altar Stone, revealing that the zircon primarily comes from Mesoproterozoic and Archaean sources, while rutile and apatite are linked to a mid-Ordovician source. The findings suggest that the stone was sourced from the Old Red Sandstone of the Orcadian Basin in northeast Scotland, approximately 750 kilometers away from its current location. This long-distance transport likely occurred via sea, indicating advanced societal organization among Neolithic peoples. The Altar Stone, weighing six tonnes and measuring 4.9 by 1.0 by 0.5 meters, is composed of a unique pale green micaceous sandstone. Previous theories regarding its origin from the Anglo-Welsh Basin have been dismissed due to inconsistencies in geological data. The study enhances understanding of prehistoric connectivity in Britain, as the Altar Stone's provenance sheds light on the transportation methods and societal structures of the time.
- The Altar Stone of Stonehenge is sourced from the Old Red Sandstone of the Orcadian Basin in Scotland.
- The stone was likely transported by sea, indicating advanced Neolithic societal organization.
- The research utilized detrital mineral analysis to determine the stone's geological origins.
- Previous theories linking the stone to the Anglo-Welsh Basin have been ruled out based on new findings.
- The study contributes to understanding the connectivity of prehistoric Britain.
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3 commentsStonehenge’s ‘altar stone’ not originally from Wales: Western Australian -led research
New research led by Western Australia’s Curtin University has revealed Stonehenge’s monumental six-tonne Altar Stone, long believed to originate from Wales, actually hails from Scotland.
The findings point to unexpectedly advanced transport methods and social organisation at the time of the stone’s arrival at its current location in southern England, about 5000 years ago.
Curtin researchers studied mineral grains within fragments of the sandstone block, which measures five by one metres and is 50 centimetres thick, at the centre of Stonehenge’s stone circle in Wiltshire.
Lead author, PhD student Anthony Clarke from Curtin’s School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, said analysis matched these with rocks from northeast Scotland, and clearly differentiated them from Welsh bedrock.
Nature journal video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HerAs9RRA34
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