The Altar Stone is traced to north-east Scotland
Clarke, Kirkland and colleagues report in Nature that the recumbent Altar Stone at Stonehenge is not Welsh sandstone as long assumed but matches Old Red Sandstone of the Orcadian Basin in north-east Scotland, implying transport of a six-tonne block over several hundred kilometres. It changes the geography of the monument's supply network, and it changes it after two centuries of confident attribution to Wales.
Observed — measured or witnessed, with the observation cited.
Subjects
- Stonehenge · archaeological site · United Kingdom
Evidence
Partly verified — Core facts are sourced; some optional detail is deliberately absent.
A Scottish provenance for the Altar Stone of Stonehenge
Detrital mineral age and chemistry indicate that the Altar Stone derives from Old Red Sandstone of the Orcadian Basin in north-east Scotland rather than from Wales, implying long-distance transport of a block of roughly six tonnes. V55 verification basis: the paper is real and its result widely reported; it was not retrieved in this session and the volume and page range should be confirmed.
Nature (Springer Nature); Anthony J. I. Clarke, Christopher L. Kirkland and colleagues · 2024-08 · Partly verified
Nature, vol. 632 (2024), published 14 August 2024
Recorded on Stonehenge
- The sarsen circle and trilithons are raised at Stonehenge
- The Stonehenge sarsens are traced to West Woods
- The Altar Stone is traced to north-east Scotland
Related
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