England’s Stonehenge was rebuilt thousands of years ago, suggested scientists in a new study.
According to CNN, scientists this year made some major discoveries linked to one of the world's most famous and mysterious ancient wonders Stonehenge.
In August 2024, scientists studied the Altar Stone at Stonehenge and concluded that it was transported to southern England from Scotland nearly 5,000 years ago. A month later another researcher suggested that the stone might come from Orkney, an island in Scotland that is home to Neolithic sites.
Research suggested that Stonehenge might have been reconstructed in England around 2620 to 2480 BC.
However, a new study published Thursday in the journal Archaeology International discovered that the 13,227-pound (6-metric-tonne) blocks were moved by the Neolithic people over 435 miles (700 kilometres) from their origin.
The lead study author, Mike Parker Pearson, said, “These new insights have significantly expanded our understanding as to what the original purpose of Stonehenge might have been. It shows that this site on Sailsbury Plain was important to the people not just living nearby, but across Britain, so much so that they brought massive monoliths across sometimes hundreds of miles to this one location.”
“There’s good evidence to suggest that these large stone monoliths have ancestral significance, representing and even embodying the ancestors of the people who placed them. (The Altar Stone’s) location within Stonehenge is important as if you stand at the centre of the stone circle, the midwinter solstice sun sets over its middle,” he further added.
As per researchers, the construction of Stonehenge began as early as 3000 BC. It was built in stages, starting around 5,000 years ago.
