The secret of the stones revealed at Stonehenge: they come from far away

During the solstices (and not only), thousands of people gather at Stonehenge, on Salisbury Plain in England, to celebrate the astronomical alignment of the monument. The focal point of these celebrations is altar stonea six-ton ​​sandstone slab that lies flat in the centre of the structure. The site is one of the most mysterious and fascinating in Britain. It was built by the ancient peoples who lived in the area between 3100 and 1600 BCIt was a mystical and worshipful place for the community at that time. But where do the large blocks that make it up come from?

Stonehenge Altar Comes From Scotland: Discovery

The mystery of Stonehenge still fascinates and attracts tourists from all over the world. It is important to know that the megaliths that make it up are divided into two large categories: Peter Sarsin H Blue stonesThe altar stone is the largest bluestone.

It is known that some bluestones were extracted from Mynydd Preseli in Walesmore than 220 km from Stonehenge, while the sarsen stones came from the plain of SalisburyBut even today, there are still doubts about the altar stone being different from the other blue stones.

A study published in the journal Nature analyzed the composition and DNA of the rocks to understand where this type of stone might have been mined. The chemical composition of its minerals showed that the six-ton ​​block of sandstone, long thought to have originated in Wales, actually comes from Scotland Therefore, it would have been transferred to More than 700 km.

“Our analysis found that the specific mineral grains in the altar stone are mostly between 1,000 and 2,000 million years old, while the other minerals are around 450 million years old,” explained British geologist Anthony Clarke, head of the studio. “This provides a distinct chemical signature that suggests the stone comes from rocks in Orkney Basin“In Scotland, at least 750 kilometres from Stonehenge,” he added.

How did they move the Stonehenge stones?

Stonehenge’s location is aligned with the moon and played a role of great importance to the society of the time. It took the ancients a lot of time and effort to build it, but how did they manage to move stones of this size and weight for so many kilometers?

“Moving such a massive load by road from Scotland to southern England would have been a huge challenge, suggesting it was possible,” according to study co-author Chris Kirkland. sea ​​freight Along the coast of Great Britain. This implies that there were already long-distance trade networks in antiquity and a higher level of social organization than previously assumed.

In fact, the Neolithic Britons must have been skilled navigators since ancient civilizations existed in the Neolithic period. prehistoric britain It was rich in forests, huge mountains, valleys and river mouths that represented important barriers to the transport of goods south.

Because of these obstacles, overland transport of the altar stone from Scotland to Salisbury was almost impossible, so it is more likely that the builders of Stonehenge shipped the monoliths by sea.