Scientists are always up for surprises, but this latest discovery at Stonehenge? It practically left them slack-jawed. Imagine finding out that something you’ve believed for ages was actually totally off the mark!
A Six-Ton Surprise from Scotland
According to a jaw-dropping report from the BBC on Friday (16/8/2024), the famous Altar Stone at the heart of Stonehenge, which weighs a hefty six tons, isn’t from southwest Wales as everyone thought. Nope, this massive rock actually hails from the far north of Scotland! Talk about a plot twist, right?
A Monumental Team Effort
This new discovery flips the script on what we know about Stonehenge. It wasn’t just a local gig for the Brits down in the southwest; it was a full-on nationwide collaboration! This ancient monument near Salisbury wasn’t just a pile of rocks from the neighborhood—it was built with stones from all over the UK. Turns out, the folks in Neolithic Britain were way more connected and sophisticated than we ever gave them credit for.
Scotland to Stonehenge: A 700 km Rock Road Trip
Picture this: The distance between Stonehenge and the northern tip of Scotland is about 700 km. And yet, somehow, these ancient builders managed to lug this giant stone all that way. The study that uncovered this incredible fact was led by Anthony Clarke, a Welsh PhD student currently working at Curtin University in Western Australia. Kudos to him for making such a groundbreaking discovery that it got published in Nature, one of the most prestigious scientific journals out there. Not bad for a PhD student, huh?
Rewriting History, One Stone at a Time
It’s been known since 1923, thanks to Welsh geologist Henry Herbert Thomas, that the bluestones at Stonehenge came from the Preseli Hills in Pembrokeshire. But the Altar Stone? That’s been a mystery—until now. It was always assumed to come from the same area, but about 20 years ago, scientists started scratching their heads and asking, “Are we really sure about that?”
The Big Takeaway
So, what does this mean? Stonehenge isn’t just a local wonder; it’s a symbol of cooperation across ancient Britain, with stones from far and wide. And next time you’re in Scotland, just remember—you’re standing on the ground that gave birth to one of Stonehenge’s most important stones. Who knew rocks could be so cool?