Stonehenge's Altar Stone Traveled 700 km from Scotland

Karmactive Staff

Scientists have discovered new clues about why ancient Britons rebuilt Stonehenge 4,500 years ago.

Photo Source: Eugene Kaspersky ( CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

These findings show that ancient British communities were more organized than many thought in that they could plan huge projects, move massive stones, and maintain connections.

Photo Source: Pickpic

Scientists recently found that ancient builders moved this stone through a  distance of 700 kilometers from Scotland to England.

Photo Source: JVL (CC BY 2.0)

The way the Altar Stone was placed at Stonehenge matches how similar stones were arranged in Scottish stone circles.

Photo Source: Avi Dolgin (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

The site was also ancient Britain's largest cemetery. Nearly half of the people buried there came from far away, showing how Stonehenge drew people from across the land.

Photo Source: nishan.sl (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

The site became many things: a religious temple, a solar calendar, an observatory to track seasons, and a symbol of unity.

Photo Source:  Frédéric Vincent (CC BY-SA 2.0)

The genetic evidence shows that 90% came from the newcomers and only 10% from the original community.

Photo Source:  VSimonian at Wikibooks (CC-BY-SA-3.0)

The timing of this massive building project is crucial, as new people called the Beaker folk were arriving from Europe.

Photo Source: Stuart Piggott (CC BY-SA 3.0)

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