Weeks after revelation that megalith came from Scotland, researchers make surprise discovery
That discovery, described as “jaw-dropping” by one of the scientists involved, established definitively that the six-tonne megalith had not been brought from Wales, as had long been believed, but came from sandstone deposits in an area encompassing the isles of Orkney and Shetland and a coastal strip on the north-east Scottish mainland.that the most likely place of origin was Orkney, based on the islands’ rich neolithic culture and tradition of monument building.
But a separate academic study has now found that Orkney is not, in fact, the source of the altar stone, meaning the tantalising hunt for its place of origin goes on.
Attention had understandably turned to Orkney because of what was known of the sophisticated society that built the Ness of Brodgar, said Sheridan, who is now a research associate at NMS. “What we don’t know as much about is the social organisation of other parts of Britain at the time. There’s clearly scope that people were just as sophisticated and well connected geographically and socially .
“I think it would do no harm for us to reconsider what we already know about late neolithic communities in north-east Scotland.”Stonehenge’s altar stone was carried all the way from north-east Scotland.
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