The Mystery of the Stonehenge Altar, Scientists Discover It Thanks to the Analysis of the Chemical Composition

The charm of Stonehenge has enchanted millions of people, but also many scientists. Who believe they have solved the mystery of the monumental Altar Stone: the chemical composition of its minerals in fact demonstrates that the six-ton sandstone blocklong believed to be native to the Walesactually comes from the Scotland and therefore it would have been transported for over 700 kilometers.

This is what emerges from the study published in Nature by an international research team led by British geologist Anthony Clarke of Curtin University in Australia. “Our analysis found that specific mineral grains in the Altar Stone are mostly between 1,000 and 2,000 million years old, while other minerals are around 450 million years old,” explains Clarke. “This provides a distinct chemical fingerprint which suggests that the stone comes from rocks in the Orkney Basin, Scotland, at least 750 kilometres away from Stonehenge. Given its Scottish origins, the findings raise fascinating questions, given the technological constraints of the Neolithic era, about how such a massive stone was transported over such great distances around 2600 BC.”

The discovery “highlights a significant level of social coordination during the Neolithic and helps paint a fascinating picture of prehistoric Britain,” adds study co-author, Chris Kirkland. “Transporting such a massive cargo overland from Scotland to southern England would have been extremely challenging, indicating a likely maritime shipping route along the coast of Britain. This implies long-distance trading networks and a higher level of social organization” than previously assumed.

The study in Nature