Australian researchers have made a significant discovery about the origins of Britain’s prehistoric monument Stonehenge that could alter our understanding of history.

The Curtin University researchers revealed that a six-tonne altar stone that was believed to originate from Wales actually came from 750 kilometres away in Scotland.

The astonishing finding raises questions as to how the huge and heavy monolith was transported vast distances to southern England 4600 years ago.

It could force a rethink of the level of social advancement in those ancient times, and point to the existence of unexpected transport including a likely marine shipping route.

The lead author of the study published in Nature, PhD student Anthony Clarke, said samples were tested from the Altar Stone, which sits at the centre of Stonehenge’s iconic stone circle in Wiltshire.

The age and chemistry of mineral grains within fragments of the 50 centimetre-thick sandstone block were studied.

Clarke said the analysis matched the samples with rocks from north-east Scotland, while also clearly differentiating them from Welsh bedrock.

Researchers Anthony Clarke and Chris Kirkland at Stonehenge. Photo: Curtin University 

“Our analysis found specific mineral grains in the Altar Stone are mostly between 1000 to 2000 million years old, while other minerals are around 450 million years old,” Clarke said.

“This provides a distinct chemical fingerprint suggesting the stone came from rocks in the Orcadian Basin, Scotland, at least 750 kilometres away from Stonehenge.

“Given its Scottish origins, the findings raise fascinating questions, considering the technological constraints of the Neolithic era, as to how such a massive stone was transported over vast distances around 2600 BC.”

Other bluestones in the structure’s central horseshoe are from Wales and the outer circle is from England.

Study co-author Professor Chris Kirkland said the findings had significant implications for understanding ancient communities, their connections, and their transportation methods.

“Our discovery of the Altar Stone’s origins highlights a significant level of societal co-ordination during the Neolithic period and helps paint a fascinating picture of prehistoric Britain,” Kirkland said.

“Transporting such massive cargo overland from Scotland to southern England would have been extremely challenging, indicating a likely marine shipping route along the coast of Britain.

“This implies long-distance trade networks and a higher level of societal organisation than is widely understood to have existed during the Neolithic period in Britain.”

Earlier this year, Just Stop Oil protesters sparked outrage by spraying Stonehenge with orange corn starch-based paint to draw attention to environmental issues.

Clarke, who grew up in Mynydd Preseli, Wales, where some of Stonehenge’s stones came from, said the research held special significance for him.

“I first visited Stonehenge when I was one-year-old and now at 25, I returned from Australia to help make this scientific discovery – you could say I’ve come full circle at the stone circle.”

Clarke said he chose Western Australia’s Curtin University for his PhD because it also offered the chance to work alongside renowned researchers, such as Kirkland.

“Curtin has given us the freedom and independence to explore fascinating work, such as Stonehenge and access to the world’s most advanced equipment, and expert staff means I can complete all my work there,” Clarke said.

“Western Australia itself as home to the oldest minerals on Earth is an outstanding natural laboratory. So I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to do this research in this outstanding place.”

Funded by an Australian Research Council Discovery Project, the research was performed in collaboration with Aberystwyth University, the University of Adelaide and University College London.