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- Stonehenge’s two mysterious sarsen blocks may have come from further afield than originally thought.
- A new study has found that the stone’s origin lies up to 126 miles away from the famous site.
- The mix of regions from which Stonehenge’s stones originate appears to be increasing.
Stonehenge has not yet given up all its mysteries, even as scientists work to unravel its mysteries one by one. The latest scientific efforts are directed toward determining the origin of a pair of unidentified sarsen stones (numbers 26 and 160) that do not fit into any specific efforts of the past.
This result may slightly expand our understanding of Stonehenge (126 miles southeast, to be more precise).
In a new study published in Journal of Archaeological Science: ReportResearchers used X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to analyze the chemical composition of 54 sarsen stone fragments taken from the 5,000-year-old site. This allowed the researchers to show that the stones at England’s Stonehenge have more diverse origins than previously believed.
Over the past few years, scientists have traced the origins of many of the 52 remaining stones at the site. These stones are divided into different categories, some are grouped together while others stand alone. The bluestone in the inner circle comes from the Preseli Hills in Wales, and various sarsen stones (made of silcrete sandstone) he traced in 2020 to a site about 30 miles from Stonehenge. Located in the southeastern part of the Marlborough Downs, the site known as West Woods was an important source of stone for Neolithic peoples, both because of its widely available stone and because of its natural access points.
However, not all Sarsen stones were associated with West Woods, and stones 26 and 160 remained a mystery. Furthermore, some of the original stones of Stonehenge are no longer in place, making them extremely difficult to trace.
The researchers looked for sarsen fragments excavated from Stonehenge’s trenches in 2008 to find a match with stones from outside the West Woods. Meanwhile, much of the debris was associated with the Marlborough Downs area, including West Woods, Moncton Downs and Moncton Downs. Totterdown Wood – The team also matched some debris in Bramdean, Hampshire (50 miles away) and Stony Wish, East Sussex (123km south-east).
“This adds, in addition to the West Woods, a second possible source region for Stonehenge’s sarsen megaliths,” the authors write. “At this stage, we can only speculate as to why sarsen stones from such a variety of sources are present at Stonehenge.”
The research team added that one of the fragments taken from Moncton Down “is probably some of the fragments removed from the external surface of the large sarsen rock during in-situ dressing.” This adds a second region, in addition to the West Woods, that is thought to be the source of Stonehenge’s sarsen megaliths. ”
Additional fragments, including those associated with East Sussex, may have come from the outer surface of stones 26 or 160, which are chemically distinct from other Sarsen megaliths. This fragment may also be part of a stone that is now missing.
“The fragments analyzed could also be fragments of the saccharoid sarsenhammerstone in its preform, or small blocks brought to the site for ritual or non-ceremonial purposes,” the authors write.
All the team knows for sure is that not all the debris came from Westwoods. Although the findings answer some questions, we are still far from definitive when it comes to understanding Stonehenge.
Tim Newcombe is a journalist based in the Pacific Northwest. He has covered stadiums, sneakers, gear, infrastructure, and more for a variety of publications, including Popular Mechanics. His favorite interviews include conversations with Switzerland’s Roger Federer, Los Angeles’ Kobe Bryant, and Portland’s Tinker Hatfield.
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