UPDATE: Altar of Stonehenge Originated in Scotland

UPDATE: 

Stonehenge tale gets ‘weirder’ as Orkney is ruled out as altar stone origin reports that “the plot has thickened on the mystery of the altar stone of Stonehenge, weeks after geologists sensationally revealed that the huge neolithic rock had been transported hundreds of miles to Wiltshire from the very north of Scotland.”

“That discovery, described as “jaw-dropping” by one of the scientists involved, established definitively that the six-tonne megalith had not been brought from Wales, as had long been believed, but came from sandstone deposits in an area encompassing the isles of Orkney and Shetland and a coastal strip on the north-east Scottish mainland.”

”Many experts assumed that the most likely place of origin was Orkney, based on the islands’ rich neolithic culture and tradition of monument building. But a separate academic study has now found that Orkney is not, in fact, the source of the altar stone, meaning the tantalising hunt for its place of origin goes on.”

“Extensive evidence exists of long-distance communication between Orkney and Stonehenge around 3000BC, and a number of key innovations in technology and culture are believed to have originated in the archipelago….The more we learn [about Stonehenge], the weirder it gets.”

“Ruling out Orkney so quickly could help narrow the search in other areas of old red sandstone, …. “The Orcadian basin [the area of old red sandstone from which the altar stone originated] is quite a big area, so I wouldn’t say it will be found quickly. What I would say it is, it is achievable.”

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:  Stonehenge's central Altar Stone originated from northern Scotland, roughly 450 miles from the ancient England site and over 300 miles farther than previously believed, according to new research.

The 14,000-pound, 16-foot bluestone lies mostly underground at the center of the sprawling rock complex in Wiltshire in southwest England (see virtual tour). For a century, researchers believed the rock was mined from nearby Wales, but research in October cast doubt on that theory. By using a global rock formation database, the researchers matched the Altar Stone to the Orcadian Basin in northeast Scotland (how they did it).

Scholars speculate the Altar Stone may have been transported by sea. Watch more here.

Excerpts from this highly technical article

“… age comparisons to sedimentary packages throughout Britain and Ireland reveal a remarkable similarity to the Old Red Sandstone of the Orcadian Basin in northeast Scotland. Such a provenance implies that the Altar Stone, a 6 tonne shaped block, was sourced at least 750 km from its current location. The difficulty of long-distance overland transport of such massive cargo from Scotland, navigating topographic barriers, suggests that it was transported by sea. Such routing demonstrates a high level of societal organization with intra-Britain transport during the Neolithic period.” 

“Stonehenge, the Neolithic standing stone circle located on the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, offers valuable insight into prehistoric Britain. Construction at Stonehenge began as early as 3000 BC, with subsequent modifications during the following two millennia”

“The central megalith of Stonehenge, the Altar Stone (Stone 80), is the largest of the bluestones.” 

“… data … indicate(s) that the Altar Stone of Stonehenge has a provenance from the ORS in the Orcadian Basin of northeast Scotland… the Altar Stone cannot have been sourced from southern Britain….”

“Some postulate a glacial transport mechanism for the bluestones to Salisbury Plain. However, such transport for the Altar Stone is difficult to reconcile with ice-sheet reconstructions …. there is little evidence of extensive glacial deposition in central southern Britain, nor are Scottish glacial erratics found at Stonehenge. … isotopic signatures from animal and human remains from henges on Salisbury Plain demonstrate the mobility of Neolithic people within Britain. Furthermore, shared architectural elements and rock art motifs between Neolithic monuments in Orkney, northern Britain, and Ireland point towards the long-distance movement of people and construction materials.”

“Thus, we posit that the Altar Stone was … transported to Stonehenge from northeast Scotland, consistent with evidence of Neolithic inhabitation in this region. Whereas the igneous bluestones were brought around 225 km from the Mynydd Preseli to Stonehenge, a Scottish provenance for the Altar Stone demands a transport distance of at least 750 km. Nonetheless, even with assistance from beasts of burden, rivers and topographical barriers, … along with the heavily forested landscape of prehistoric Britain, would have posed formidable obstacles for overland megalith transportation.”

“At around 5000 BC, Neolithic people introduced the [rodent] (Microtus arvalis) from continental Europe to Orkney, consistent with the long-distance marine transport of cattle and goods . A Neolithic marine trade network of quarried stone tools is found throughout Britain, Ireland and continental Europe … implying the shipping of stone cargo over open water during the Neolithic. Furthermore, the river transport of shaped sandstone blocks in Britain is known from at least around 1500 BC (Hanson Log Boat). In Britain and Ireland, sea levels approached present-day heights from around 4000 BC, and although coastlines have shifted, the geography of Britain and Ireland would have permitted sea routes southward from the Orcadian Basin towards southern England. A Scottish provenance for the Altar Stone implies Neolithic transport spanning the length of Great Britain.”