Stonehenge's Altar Stone: Human Transport Likely, Not Glacier

Researchers have determined the origin of Stonehenge's altar stone through chemical analysis. The stone, which has been at Stonehenge for 4500 years, has come from north-east Scotland. A glacier could have carried it south, but this hypothesis has been ruled out as unlikely. Scientists have concluded that humans probably transported the 6-tonne sandstone across 750 kilometers. The study has been carried out by Anthony Clarke from Curtin University. He has examined the chemical fingerprint of the rock's sand grains. The fingerprint has matched outcrops in the Orcadian basin of Scotland. Ice flow modelling has shown that glaciers from Scotland mostly went north. Some ice did go south and dumped rocks at Dogger Bank. However, Dogger Bank has been submerged since 8000 years ago. Stonehenge's construction started 5000 years ago, so the rock would have sat underwater for 3000 years. This set of circumstances has been considered too elaborate. Humans have managed to move other stones at Stonehenge weighing up to 30 tonnes across tens of kilometers. Therefore, they have had the ability and will to move the altar stone. Clarke has pointed out that these people were not in a rush. The project could have taken many years, much like the pyramids. Researchers have planned to take more samples to pinpoint the exact quarry. But they have said we may never find out why people undertook such a massive task. Clarke has compared it to selecting marble from Italy for a kitchen. Humans have always had a fascination with finding the right rock.