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Built around 2,500 years.C., Stonehenge continues to fascinate scientists, who examine ceaselessly the megalithic monument looking for clues that can resolve the two riddles that still holds. The first is hovering over sacred mission that took place in his time, still unknown, and the second, how were you able to the hunters and gatherers of the era of move stones of similar size (some were to weigh up to 25 tons).

researchers know that the dolmen is composed of two fundamental types of rocks that do not share the same origin. The more large or sarsens are local and small or “blue”, more distant . Two studies shed light on the most accurate of the two.

just a few days Ago he went out in a detailed research in the “Journal of Archaeological Science” about the prodecencia of the Altar, which is located in the center of Stonehenge. Qualified as “blue stone”, this slab of flat sandstone greenish of about six tonnes comes from Abergavenny , located about 160 kilometres, a few kilometres from the border between Wales and England.

The study suggests that the stones were removed by land and traveled through a route similar to the current A40 , which connects Wales with London today.


Now, a study published in the journal “Science Advances”, provides new evidence of the origin of the huge sarsens. According to an analysis of the c omposición chemistry of the rocks made by a team of experts from the university of Brighton, the majority of the sandstones that make up the famous monument seem to share a common origin: West Woods, 25 kilometers away.

One of the rocks sarsen West Wood – Katy Whitaker (Historic England/University of Reading

The findings support the theory that the stones were brought to Stonehenge around the same time , contradicting a previous one that pointed out that the Stone of the Heel, a large sarsen, was erected before the others.

“it Has been really exciting to use the science of the XXI century to understand the past neolithic and answer a question that archaeologists have been debating for centuries ,” said David Nash, lead author of the study.

The findings may also help scientists to identify the path to that the ancient builders of the monument would have taken to transport the boulders. “Until recently we did not know that it was possible to establish the provenance of a stone such as sarsen,” said Nash.

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