A study published in October completely rewrites a major part of Stonehenge’s ancient history.
The ancient site of Stonehenge on the Salisbury Plain, England, is one of the most impressive and mysterious megalithic sites in the world, but a new study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science suggests we’ve gotten one big thing wrong about it for centuries. While most of the materials used to build Stonehenge are presumed to be from Mynydd Preseli (Preseli Hills) in Wales, the Altar Stone has always been an outlier.
For at least a century, the Altar Stone was assumed to be sourced from Old Red Sandstone from the Senni Beds in west Wales, Ancient Origins noted. But new evidence suggests it could have come from even further away.
For those who haven’t closely looked at the Stones of Stonehenge I have put up a close up of the Altar Stone https://t.co/MoFpp4BpR1 pic.twitter.com/7TxEBbCMCe
— Tim Daw (@TimothyDaw) September 25, 2023
Analyses of the Altar Stone showed high levels of barium, which has forced researchers to consider whether the materials came from younger sandstones in other parts of the British archipelago. In fact, the Altar Stone’s materials turn a slight blue color. So researchers are pushing for a reclassification of the enormous rock to bluestone.
It’s hoped the discovery will lead to further research on where the Altar Stone actually came from. And it could rewrite our known history of this region, suggesting our ancient ancestors were far more geographically and geologically developed than most mainstream archaeologists are willing to admit. (RELATED: Huge, Ancient Burial Grounds Found Next To World’s Most Mysterious Archaeological Site)
The study was led by a team from Aberystwyth University’s Department of Geography and Earth Sciences (who offered me a full scholarship back in 2012 but I turned it down, remember, mum? But things still turned out great).