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Neolithic sailors may have hauled Stonehenge's Altar Stone from Scotland

Six-tonne sandstone slab identified as originating from northeastern Scotland, a new groundbreaking study unveils, shifting previous theories.

Reuters

The Altar Stone at the ancient monument Stonehenge located on Salisbury Plain is seen underneath two bigger Sarsen stones in Wiltshire, Britain. / Photo: Reuters

Neolithic sailors may have transported the six-tonne Altar Stone of Stonehenge from northeastern Scotland to Salisbury, England, around 4,500 years ago, according to a groundbreaking study published in Nature.

"This is a fantastic study with significant implications," says Jim Leary, a field archaeologist at the University of York on Wednesday.

The Altar Stone, a large sandstone block measuring 5 metres by 1 metre (16 feet by 3 feet) and lying flat at the centre of Stonehenge, is one of the largest of the monument's bluestones.

Earlier research had suggested it might have come from Wales.

The new study uses dating and chemical analysis of tiny zircon, rutile, and apatite crystals from fragments of the Altar Stone, pinpointing its origin to the Old Red Sandstone formations of the Orcadian Basin in northeastern Scotland.

"It's like finding a fingerprint," says Anthony Clarke, a geochronologist at Curtin University in Perth, Australia, who led the study. "The match with the Orcadian Basin is perfect, while there's no match with anything in England or Wales."

Scientists solve mystery of Stonehenge megaliths origin

The method used to transport the stone from Scotland or the Orkney Islands to southern England remains debated. Geologists have ruled out glacial transport.

"There is simply no evidence for it," Clarke says. "This stone was brought here by human means."

Whether the transportation was by land or sea is still uncertain. The 800-kilometre (497-mile) journey between Scotland and Stonehenge is rugged, suggesting a challenging voyage.

Leary believes a sea journey is most plausible. "We seriously underestimate their abilities and technologies," he says. "While weeve never found their boats, we know they could transport cattle, sheep and goats by sea."

Regardless of the method, the transport of such a significant stone likely was a remarkable feat.

The discovery of the Altar Stone's Scottish origin is just the beginning.

"We still need to narrow down the exact location where it was obtained," says study co-author Rob Ixer, a geologist at University College London who has spent decades tracing the sources of Stonehenge's monoliths.