A TOP archaeologist has shed some light on where exactly the Stonehenge Altar Stone could have possibly come from after the shocking discovery that it is from the north east of Scotland.
The “sensational” revelation left experts stunned on Wednesday, and journalist and archaeologist Mike Pitts suggested the monument was “very much part of a Neolithic world spanning the UK”.
It is unclear when the stone arrived at the site on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, but scientists say it may have been placed within the central horseshoe of stones during the second construction phase at about 2620–2480 BC.
The discovery implies that one of the most famous stones in the world was moved much further than had been believed and had travelled at least 435 miles.
The editor of British Archaeology, which is the publication of the Council for British Archaeology, took to social media to post about the discovery and to highlight where the stone could have come from.
In one post, the archaeologist shared a map which highlighted more precise locations of where the stone could have come from which included Orkney, with all the locations of stone circles and megaliths highlighted, and Rhynie, which has inscribed standing stones from the "Dark Ages".
Must we rewrite #Stonehenge's history? No! But news that the Altar Stone came from NE Scotland is sensational. It widens horizons & suggests the monument was very much part of a Neolithic world spanning the UK. My key takeaways in thread below... 1/6 pic.twitter.com/lfYxsVcmKf
— Mike Pitts (@pittsmike) August 14, 2024
Pitts said two Scottish sources fit the pattern of north/south Neolithic connections which include a Lewisian gneiss macehead which came from the Hebrides and was buried at Stonehenge and Grooved Ware pottery, common in Wessex at the time Stonehenge was built, which is believed to have originated in Orkney.
He highlighted the link to Aberdeenshire with the recumbent stone circles (below) as the composition of the stones matches the ones around the Altar Stone at the English site.
Pitt said the Altar Stone immediately made him think of the recumbent stone circles as the highly distinctive arrangements are exclusively in the north east of Scotland.
However, he pondered the question of which came first, Stonehenge or the recumbent stones, as the former dates back later. He didn’t rule out the possibility that the Altar Stone could have been sent from Aberdeenshire in the late stages of Stonehenge’s construction.
The archaeologist is also adamant that Stonehenge was built with rocks supplied from the mainland and that none of them came from overseas – meaning he mostly ruled out the possibility of the stone coming from Orkney.
For the last century, the six-tonne sandstone which lies at the heart of the ancient site was believed to have come from Wales.
The majority of Stonehenge’s bluestones came from the Preseli Hills area in west Wales and are believed to have been the first stones erected at the site.
The Altar Stone has traditionally been grouped with these other, smaller bluestones.
Scientists examined the stone’s chemical composition and mineral grains and said with 95% confidence that the sandstone is very likely to have come from north-east Scotland.
The study involved scientists at Aberystwyth University, University College London and, in Australia, Curtin University and the University of Adelaide.
Co-author Professor Richard Bevins, from Aberystwyth University, said: “These findings are truly remarkable – they overturn what had been thought for the past century.
“We have succeeded in working out, if you like, the age and chemical fingerprints of, perhaps, one of the most famous of stones in the world-renowned ancient monument.
“It’s thrilling to know that our chemical analysis and dating work has finally unlocked this great mystery.
“We can now say that this iconic rock is Scottish and not Welsh.
“Although we can say that much, and confidently – the hunt will still very much be on to pin down where exactly in the north-east of Scotland the Altar Stone came from.”
