Scientists find Stonehenge has ancient link to Scotland

Remarkable new scientific research at Stonehenge has revealed an extraordinary new mystery. Mineralogical tests on the massive six-tonne stone at the heart of the monument show that this central rock, known as the altar stone, was brought to Stonehenge from the far north of Scotland.

- DAVID KEYS

The altar stone is arguably the most ritually important stone in Stonehenge, because it is the rock that marks the intersection of the prehistoric temple's two most important celestial alignments - the winter solstice sunrise to summer solstice sunset alignment, and the summer solstice sunrise to winter solstice sunset alignment.

It's already known that some of the monument's smaller stones were brought to the site from southwest Wales, around 120 miles away. But moving a rock from northern mainland Scotland or Orkney would have involved a journey of well over 500 miles. The discovery has huge implications, and is likely to transform archaeologists' perceptions around key aspects of life in prehistoric Britain.

Up to now, most scholars have assumed that British Neolithic society was exclusively local or regional (based on tribal, clan or similar identities), but the newly discovered StonehengeScotland link, when combined with the Welsh origin of some of the Stonehenge stones, suggests that there might also have been a pan-British aspect to how Neolithic Britons lived.

The newly revealed Scottish link implies that 4,500 years ago, there was already at least some political and religious cooperation across Britain. That's because the Neolithic people who transported the six-tonne rock from northern Scotland or Orkney to southern England must have known that Stonehenge existed, that it was being expanded, and precisely what shape and size of giant rock was required.

That suggests geopolitical cooperation, or even some religious commonality.

Another aspect of the new discovery is the southern British Neolithic choice of northern Scotland, potentially Orkney, as a symbolic partner in Stonehenge's construction. It is conceivable that this was because Wiltshire and Orkney were arguably Britain's two most advanced Neolithic cultures.