Orcadian Stonehenge

A fingerprint of the Altar stone proves that it came from Scotland, not Wales as long thought. 

8 comments:

Assistant Village Idiot said...

One more reason to go to Orkney and pretend to know something.

raven said...

"Clarke said that the Scottish origins of the stone raise fascinating question regarding how such a massive stone was transported so far during the Neolithic era of roughly 2,600 BC. It must have required, the authors claim, an unexpectedly advanced transport method and complex societal organization."

Could it be a glacial erratic? Stones can move a long way.

E Hines said...

Could it be a glacial erratic? Stones can move a long way.

Which could explain its significance to those who built Stonehenge. That rock would have been entirely out of character with the rest of the rocks and stones in the area.

Eric Hines

Grim said...

It'd be a bit odd for a glacier to bring down one rock, though.

raven said...

Around here in the glacial till, we find all sorts of anomalous rocks. Not usually just one, of any particular type, but they are scattered widely. A survey of the surrounding areas for similar types might prove informative for yea or nay.
Often a big glacially transported stone will have a striated or ground face where it was swept along the ground.

Christopher B said...

Most of the other rocks gathered along with it could have been ground into dust.

Anonymous said...

Aliens…..

E Hines said...

One of the rocks they've been throwing at us every few millions of years didn't detonate.
Eric Hines