Altar Stone - Stonehenge

Altar Stone - Stonehenge
The Stones of Stonehenge · CC BY 4.0

The Altar Stone (Stone 80) is a recumbent megalith at the center of Stonehenge, dating to around 2600 BC. A 2024 study published in Nature revealed that this six-ton sandstone block originated from the Orcadian Basin in northeast Scotland, over 750 km away, overturning the long-held theory of a Welsh origin. This represents the longest-known stone transport for any Neolithic monument, implying remarkably advanced logistics and social organization in prehistoric Britain.

TypeMegalithic stones
Period3000 - 1500 BC
CountryEngland
Coordinates51.1790° N, 1.8263° W

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