Discoveries about Stonehenge have scientists dropping their jaws

For a hundred years, the altar stone at the centre of Stonehenge was thought to have come from what is now Wales, about 200 kilometres from the monument in southern England, one of the world’s most famous monuments. In recent years, experts have questioned whether the stone could really have come from there, because its chemical composition suggests a different type of rock than that found in Wales, he writes. The Guardian.

Scientists have now concluded that it may have been transported more than 700 kilometres, from present-day north-east Scotland, nearly 5,000 years ago. The group behind the study, as published in the journal natureThey checked the mineral composition of the stone as well as its possible age — and it appears to be traceable to rocks from the Orcadian Basin in Scotland. The chance that it didn't come from there is only a small percentage, the researchers say.

The altar stone weighs six tons. The heavy stone at the centre of Stonehenge is one of the largest monuments. It is half buried under two fallen boulders.

Transporting such a heavy stone such a long distance would have been extremely difficult on land, suggesting that there was a shipping route along the coast of Britain.

This means a far-reaching trade network and a more sophisticated society than previously known about Neolithic Britain, says one of the researchers, Chris Kirkland, according to the Daily Mail. CNN.

In the past you also have Communities in Britain during this time period are thought to have been relatively closed, but the provenance of the altar stone along with other monument stones from Wales, among others, suggests that there was some interaction between groups and regions across Britain. He writes that those who transported the stone from Scotland must have been aware of the existence of Stonehenge. Independent.

Stonehenge is believed to date back to between 3100 and 1600 BC, during what is known as the Neolithic period. What it was used for during that time is unknown. Since 1986, it has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.