The British scientists were 'shocked' at new Stonehenge discovery (August 2024)

A new analysis has found the six-tonne Altar Stone at the heart of Stonehenge came from the far north of Scotland rather than south-west Wales as previously thought, and that was a big surprise for the British scientists because it means that the very big stone was brought about 700 kilometers from northen Scotland to the ancient monument, near Salisbury in south-west England, not from Wales.

And that was not easy at all, at least for the people in the area a few thounsands years ago. For more than a century the archaeologists have known that some of the stones at Stonehenge came from Wales and the stones were somehow transported about 200 kilometers to the current site. And now that distance has been increased with 500 kilometers, and that's jaw-dropping to the ground just like the cartoons.

The discovery rewrites relationships between Neolithic populations and shows the construction of Stonehenge was a far greater collaborative effort than scientists realised. It also suggests that Neolithic British islands were a far more connected and far more advanced society than earlier evidence indicated.

The discovery has huge implications, and is likely to transform archaeologists’ perceptions around key aspects of life in prehistoric Britain, and it also may change people's perceptions.