Perth, Australia – According to a statement issued by Curtin UniversityThe Central Altar Stone of Stonehenge was transported over 430 miles from northeastern Scotland to Salisbury Plain in carefully planned stages. It was suggested that over 13,000 pounds of sandstone may have been moved by glacial activity. Anthony Clark of Curtin University and his colleagues used mineral grain dating and ice-sheet modeling to see whether glaciers alone could have done the job. “Our modeling shows that glaciers would have transported rocks part of the way during the last ice age – possibly to Dogger Bank in the North Sea – but not to southern England, meaning the stones would still need to be transported hundreds of kilometers away. [Neolithic] People,” Clark explained. Moving the megalith may have involved dragging it over land and floating it across rivers and along the coast when possible. Clark concluded, “Moving a stone of this size over such a long distance would have required planning, coordination, and a deep understanding of the landscape – not to mention tremendous determination.” Read the original Scholar article about this research Quaternary Science Journal. To read about the origins of Stonehenge’s bluestones, visit “Excavation of Stonehenge“
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