Stonehenge's Altar Stone May Have Been Transported via Glaciers and Human Effort

Stonehenge’s massive Altar Stone, which weighs around six tons, may have had a long and unusual journey before ending up at the famous prehistoric monument in Salisbury Plain. New research suggests that the stone might have been carried from northeast Scotland to Dogger Bank—an area now under the North Sea—by glaciers during the last ice age. Later, it may have been moved by humans to its final location. This theory comes from a study conducted by researchers from Sheffield Hallam University and Curtin University in Australia. The Altar Stone is a large piece of sandstone, and scientists believe it originally came from northeast Scotland, about 700 kilometers from Stonehenge. To reach this conclusion, the researchers used a combination of mineral grain dating and computer models of ancient ice sheets. They reconstructed a possible path that glaciers could have taken, moving the stone from Scotland to Dogger Bank. Dr. Remy Veness, one of the study’s lead authors, explained that the stone might have been considered valuable by the people of Doggerland—a now-submerged Neolithic landscape—long before it became part of Stonehenge. Doggerland, which once connected Britain to mainland Europe, had no natural rock formations, meaning any large stones found there must have been transported from elsewhere. The researchers suggest that the Altar Stone could have been left behind by glaciers in the Dogger Bank area. As sea levels rose and the land changed, people may have moved the stone again, this time toward the Berkshire Ridgeway—a known route from around the time Stonehenge was constructed. Dr. Anthony Clarke, another lead author, noted that while glaciers may have moved the stone part of the way, human effort was essential to bring it into southern England. The study suggests that the transport involved multiple steps, possibly using a mix of overland hauling, river travel, and coastal routes. This research highlights the remarkable coordination and planning required by Neolithic communities to move such a massive stone over long distances.