A MAJOR mystery surrounding Stonehenge’s origin has finally been solved.
For centuries there have been all sorts of theories about how the giant rocks got there, from medieval myths linking it to Merlin, to aliens placing them.
Another long-held and more plausible belief is that it was naturally moved to the Salisbury Plain, where Stonehenge is located, by ancient glaciers.
But new findings have thrown that idea out of the window.
It turns out people really did move them.
And the evidence was all hidden in mineral grains that act as “geological time capsules”.
Read more about stonehenge
LOST & FOUND
Huge pits found by Stonehenge may be ‘Britain’s largest prehistoric structure’
STONES HEIST ALERT
Stonehenge staff given emergency training following Louvre gem heist
Scientists studied these microscopic samples – smaller than a grain of sand – preserved in rivers close to the historic site.
Using a “fingerprinting” technique, they were able to work out how sediments travelled across Britain over millions of years.
It was probably used for a wide variety of different purposes, like a calendar, an ancient temple, a feasting site.
Professor Chris Kirkland
And the results show no sign that glaciers ever reached anywhere near Stonehenge.
Previous research suggests the rocks came all the way from Scotland and Wales.
“If glaciers had carried rocks all the way from Scotland or Wales to Stonehenge, they would have left a clear mineral signature on the Salisbury Plain,” Dr Anthony Clarke, from Curtin University.
“Those rocks would have eroded over time, releasing tiny grains that we could date to understand their ages and where they came from.
“We looked at the river sands near Stonehenge for some of those grains the glaciers might have carried and we did not find any.
“That makes the alternative explanation – that humans moved the stones – far more plausible.”
However, how humans managed to move such gigantic stones without any of today’s machinery available to them remains a mystery.
Sign up for The Sun Tech newsletter for gadgets, games & more
Hello! I’m Sean Keach, The Sun’s Head of Technology and Science
I’ve been writing about gadgets, games and the future of technology for more than a decade.
During that time I’ve penned thousands of articles, filmed hundreds of videos, talked tech on TV and radio, and travelled around the world to bring you the latest on Apple, Meta, Google, Amazon, Netflix and more.
And I’ve got a weekly newsletter called The Sun Tech that you can read for free every Thursday.
I bring you the latest from the world of tech, including behind-the-scenes action, exclusive content, expert analysis, and plenty of help advice – so please follow along!
“Some people say the stones might have been sailed down from Scotland or Wales, or they might have been transported over land using rolling logs, but really we might never know,” Dr Clarke added.
“But what we do know is ice almost certainly didn’t move the stones.”
The findings also don’t answer one of the biggest questions – why was it built.
“Stonehenge continues to surprise us,” study co-author Professor Chris Kirkland said.
“By analysing minerals smaller than a grain of sand, we have been able to test theories that have persisted for more than a century.
“There are so many questions that can be asked about this iconic monument — for example, why was Stonehenge built in the first place?
“It was probably used for a wide variety of different purposes, like a calendar, an ancient temple, a feasting site.
“So asking and then answering these sorts of questions requires different sorts of data sets and and this study adds an important piece to that bigger picture.”
Their paper was published in the Communications Earth and Environment journal.
THEORIES ON HOW THE STONES WERE MOVED
How were these giant rocks moved? It’s a question that has baffled researchers for centuries.
There are two types of stone at Stonehenge – the larger sarsen stones and the smaller ‘bluestones’.
The sarsens weigh roughly 25 tons each, with the largest stone, the Heel Stone, weighing about 30 tons.
The most popular theory suggests the rocks were moved into position using plant fibre ropes and a wooden A-frame.
Another theory, inspired by the Easter Island rock heads, argues the Stonehenge slabs were rocked from side to side with levers.
