The nearest source of the altar stone at the centre of Stonehenge has finally been identified – and it is at least 750 kilometres away in north-east Scotland
has shown that it was almost certainly brought there from north-east Scotland, much further than any other stone in the megalithic structure.
This 5-metre-long stone is embedded in the ground with only one surface showing and is partly covered by two other stones. It is thought to have been put in place about 4500 years ago.Now, Clarke has taken sophisticated equipment usually used in the mining industry and analysed samples of the altar stone. It is a sandstone, which means it is made of eroded grains of rock that piled up at the bottom of an ancient ocean and eventually stuck together to form a new rock.
Glaciers can carry boulders long distances, but the evidence is that during the last glacial period, the flow of ice in the Orcadian region was northwards rather than southwards, says Kirkland.
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Stonehenge's 13,200-pound Altar Stone originated in northeastern Scotland, more than 450 miles awayJennifer Nalewicki is a Salt Lake City-based journalist whose work has been featured in The New York Times, Smithsonian Magazine, Scientific American, Popular Mechanics and more. She covers several science topics from planet Earth to paleontology and archaeology to health and culture. Prior to freelancing, Jennifer held an Editor role at Time Inc.
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