The altar stone of Stonehenge could have travelled from north-east Scotland via glacier before reaching Salisbury Plain, a study has found.
The six-tonne, sandstone monolith is believed to have originated in the Orcadian Basin in northern Scotland – but the mystery of how it reached Salisbury Plain, about 435 miles away, has remained unsolved.
Now researchers at Sheffield Hallam University and Curtin University in Australia have found the stone may have travelled via glacier to Doggerland, a neolithic site off the east coast of England, during the last Ice Age.
We recently discovered that the origin of the altar stone is north-east Scotland, but how it travelled 700km to Salisbury Plain is widely debated
After being deposited by the glacier in Doggerland, prehistoric Britons may have transported the block south to its final resting place.
Dr Remy Veness, co-lead author of the paper from Sheffield Hallam University, said: “We recently discovered that the origin of the altar stone is north-east Scotland, but how it travelled 700km to Salisbury Plain is widely debated.
“Our research gives a new plausible explanation for part of the journey to Salisbury Plain.
“What is exciting about these findings is that they could imply that the people of Doggerland attached cultural significance to the altar stone long before it was incorporated into Stonehenge.”
Doggerland, which once connected Britain to mainland Europe, was abandoned due to climate change and is now submerged under the North Sea.
Dr Veness said the changing climate may have been the reason for the “audacious” decision to move the stone onto what is now mainland Britain.
“The altar stone must have been significant enough (for people) to be willing to move the stone at least twice,” she said.
“First to save it from being submerged by rising sea levels at the end of the last ice age, and then again to its final resting place on Salisbury Plain.
“Moving the stone in response to rising sea levels as the world’s ice sheets melted at the end of the last ice age goes some way to explaining why such an audacious move might have been attempted.
“It’s really interesting to consider that the construction of Stonehenge might have started as a result of climate-induced migration.”
The paper suggests that from Doggerland, the altar stone could have been moved close to the Berkshire Ridgeway, the oldest road in Europe, which was active at the time of Stonehenge and could have eased or encouraged travel to Salisbury Plain.
Co-lead author Dr Anthony Clarke, from Curtin University, said the findings suggest the journey far from simple, and likely required careful planning across multiple stages.
“Rather than being carried naturally by ice, the evidence points to a deliberate, carefully planned movement across a challenging and varied landscape,” he said.
“Our modelling shows glaciers may have transported rocks part of the way during the last Ice Age — potentially as far as Dogger Bank in the North Sea — but not into southern England, meaning the stone would still have needed to be moved hundreds of kilometres by people.
“The research indicates there were no viable glacial pathways linking the source region directly to Stonehenge, reinforcing the conclusion that human transport was required.
“Instead, this suggests the stone was likely moved in stages, potentially combining overland hauling with river or coastal transport where possible.”
He said the findings reveal a level of organisation and co-operation among Neolithic communities not previously fully appreciated.
“Transporting a stone of this size over such a long distance would have required planning, co-ordination and a deep understanding of the landscape – not to mention tremendous determination,” he said.
“The study demonstrates how combining geological analysis with computer modelling can help resolve long-standing questions about how Stonehenge was built.”
Future research will aim to pinpoint the altar stone’s exact source in north-east Scotland and further investigate possible transport routes used by prehistoric communities.
The study, From Highlands To Henge: Refining The Provenance And Transport Pathways Of Stonehenge’s Altar Stone, was published in the Journal of Quaternary Science.
