Stonehenge mystery may be explained by forgotten land

The unsolved mystery of how altar stone of Stonehenge finally arrived in Wiltshire could finally be partly explained by new research.

The monolith is believed to have originated in the Orcadian Basin of north-east Scotland, but how it ended up in Salisbury remained unknown.

Now researchers say the stone may have travelled via glacier to Doggerland, which once connected Britain to mainland Europe, before the area was abandoned and submerged under the North Sea.

Co-lead author of the study Dr Remy Veness said rising sea levels caused by melting ice at the end of the last Ice Age may have been the reason for the "audacious" decision to move the six-tonne sandstone block onto what is now Britain.

Veness added: "Our research gives a new plausible explanation for part of the journey to Salisbury Plain.

"It's really interesting to consider that the construction of Stonehenge might have started as a result of climate-induced migration."

Veness, from Sheffield Hallam University, added the altar stone must have been "significant" to justify its transportation down to Salisbury Plain.

The paper also suggested the altar stone could have been moved from Doggerland to an area close to the oldest road in Europe, the Berkshire Ridgeway.

The road was active at the time of Stonehenge and so the stone's location could have eased or encouraged travel to Salisbury Plain.

Co-lead author Dr Anthony Clarke said the findings suggested the monolith's journey from Doggerland towards Wiltshire was "deliberate" and "carefully planned".

"Our modelling shows glaciers may have transported rocks part of the way during the last Ice Age - potentially as far as Dogger Bank in the North Sea - but not into southern England, meaning the stone would still have needed to be moved hundreds of kilometres by people.

"The research indicates there were no viable glacial pathways linking the source region directly to Stonehenge, reinforcing the conclusion that human transport was required," he said.

Clarke, from the Curtin University in Australia, said the study combined geological analysis with computer modelling.

Future research will aim to pinpoint the altar stone's exact source in north-east Scotland and further investigate possible transport routes used by prehistoric communities.

The study, From Highlands To Henge: Refining The Provenance And Transport Pathways Of Stonehenge's Altar Stone, was published in the Journal of Quaternary Science.

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