Search

Understanding the provenance of megaliths used in the Neolithic stone circle at Stonehenge, southern England, gives insight into the culture and connectivity of prehistoric Britain. The source of the Altar Stone, the central recumbent sandstone megalith, has remained unknown, with recent work discounting an Anglo-Welsh Basin origin1,2. Here we present the age and chemistry of detrital zircon, apatite and rutile grains from within fragments of the Altar Stone. The detrital zircon load largely comprises Mesoproterozoic and Archaean sources, whereas rutile and apatite are dominated by a mid-Ordovician source. The ages of these grains indicate derivation from an ultimate Laurentian crystalline source region that was overprinted by Grampian (around 460 million years ago) magmatism. Detrital age comparisons to sedimentary packages throughout Britain and Ireland reveal a remarkable similarity to the Old Red Sandstone of the Orcadian Basin in northeast Scotland. Such a provenance implies that the Altar Stone, a 6 tonne shaped block, was sourced at least 750 km from its current location. The difficulty of long-distance overland transport of such massive cargo from Scotland, navigating topographic barriers, suggests that it was transported by sea. Such routing demonstrates a high level of societal organization with intra-Britain transport during the Neolithic period.

Recent petrological, mineralogical and geochemical investigations of the Stonehenge Altar Stone have negated its source in the Old Red Sandstone (ORS) Anglo-Welsh Basin. Further, it has been suggested that it is time to look wider, across northern Britain and Scotland, especially in areas where geological and geochemical evidence concur, and there is evidence of Neolithic communities and their monuments. In this context the islands of Orkney, with its rich Neolithic archaeology, are an obvious area worthy of investigation. The same techniques applied to investigations of the Altar Stone and ORS sequences in southern Britain have been applied to two major Neolithic monuments on Mainland Orkney, namely the Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar. In addition, field samples of ORS lithologies from the main stratigraphic horizons on Mainland Orkney have been investigated.

•Investigation was undertaken on a rock sample purported to have been collected from the underside of the Altar Stone (Stone 80) at Stonehenge in 1844.•The sample was analysed petrographically and by using portable XRF and automated SEM-EDS techniques.•Distinctive mineralogical and geochemical characteristics support the sample’s authenticity in terms of provenance.•The sample provides a ‘go-to’ proxy for future investigations of the Altar Stone.

•The Stonehenge Altar Stone is considered to belong to the bluestone megalith grouping.•Historically, it has been thought to come from Wales, along with the other bluestones.•More detailed analysis has failed to find a source in Wales or adjacent areas.•We question whether the Altar Stone should not be ‘lumped’ with the Welsh bluestones.•We intend to broaden our search for the Altar Stone source into northern Britain.

•Stone wedges were among the most common tools at Stonehenge’s bluestone megalith quarries in Wales.•Three stone wedges were found in situat the bluestone quarry of Craig Rhos-y-felin.•Two of these wedges with evidence of being driven into joints around a pillar.•Geochemical analysis confirmed that these two wedges had been introduced into these joints from elsewhere.

A Neolithic stone circle at Waun Mawn, in the Mynydd Preseli, west Wales, has been proposed as the original location of some dolerite megaliths at Stonehenge, including one known as Stone 62. To investigate this hypothesis, in-situanalyses, using a portable XRF, have been obtained for four extant non-spotted doleritic monoliths at Waun Mawn, along with two weathered doleritic fragments from a stonehole (number 91). The data obtained have been compared to data from spotted and non-spotted dolerite outcrops across the Mynydd Preseli, an area known to be the source of some Stonehenge doleritic bluestones, as well as data from in-situanalysis of Stone 62 (non-spotted dolerite) and ex-situanalysis of a core taken from Stone 62 in the late 1980′s.

During the 1960s and 1970s, aerial reconnaissance on the northern side of the confluence of the Rivers Trent, Tame, and Mease in Staffordshire revealed a cluster of features indicative of prehistoric ceremonial activity. Some of the features within the cluster are morphologically unique, but a lack of previous investigation meant that their dating, phasing, and function were unknown. This paper details the results of a multi-disciplinary approach to addressing these questions about the complex and to place it into its contemporary landscape context. The results indicate that the complex represents numerous phases of symbolic and ceremonial activity extending from the late Neolithic and into the early Bronze Age. Furthermore, it has shown how these structures fit within a wider landscape of ceremonial activity extending back to the earlier Neolithic and continuing into the Bronze Age.

•Portable XRF analysis was applied to provenancing the Stonehenge bluestones.•In situ analysis was undertaken on Stone 62 at Stonehenge and on key Preseli outcrops.•The source of Stone 62 is attributed to the Garn Ddu Fach Preseli outcrop.•A robust analytical strategy was developed and implemented to take into account a range of factors possibly expected to influence the analyses.

This systematic study of selected ‘Wessex’ Early Bronze Age burial assemblages was undertaken to reassess the original purpose of the artefacts deposited and their significance in the burial ritual. Use-wear analysis and fragmentation assessment has been undertaken on daggers, whetstones, bone objects and beads. Lithological and physical analysis was also undertaken on the stone objects. The results show a remarkable disparity in use and fragmentation between certain artefact types. Some objects and groups might be seen as symbolic depositions placed by mourners, or as parts of ceremonial costume, rather than as possessions of the deceased.

•Rare earth element geochemistry applied to provenancing the Stonehenge bluestones.•New data suggests Groups 1 and 3 spotted dolerites may be from a single source.•The source of one Stonehenge non-spotted dolerite is identified as Cerrigmarchogion.•The source of three other non-spotted dolerites remains uncertain.•The REE data are analysed using shape factors derived from polynomial curve fitting.

•The spots in the Stonehenge bluestone spotted dolerites are a defining characteristic.•They were used to provenance the bluestones to west Wales.•Their origin has not previously been determined.•This paper reports on a detailed mineralogical investigation.•It shows that they alteration features linked to saussuritization.

The article discusses the use of chemical analysis to help determine whether the Preseli hills are the source of bluestones or standing stones in the prehistoric monument Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England.

A letter to the editor about the Trefael stone which was found close to the Stonehenge monument in Wiltshire, England.