Five millennia after the first megaliths were erected at Stonehenge, this enigmatic monument continues to tantalize us with new revelations about its construction and purpose. The latest bombshell discovery? The altar stone at the heart of Stonehenge originated more than 700km away in the far reaches of northern Scotland, archaeologists announced earlier this year.
While Stonehenge’s hulking sarsens and bluestones were long known to have been transported significant distances—20km and 200km respectively—never before has a British monument been found to incorporate stones from such far-flung corners of the island. As Mike Parker Pearson, professor of British later prehistory at University College London, argues in a groundbreaking new paper, this “material and monumental microcosm of the British Isles” suggests Stonehenge may have been built specifically to unify disparate early farming communities at a time of profound cultural change.
A Gift of Alliance?
Parker Pearson, a leading authority on Stonehenge, proposes a bold new interpretation of the monument’s Scottish connection. He posits that the altar stone—a huge block of sandstone that lies recumbent at the center of Stonehenge—may have been taken from an earlier Scottish stone circle and gifted to the Stonehenge builders as a symbol of political alliance.
The altar stone is often overlooked by visitors to Stonehenge because it lies flat and partly obscured by a huge fallen sarsan. We long assumed it fell over too, but recumbent stones are actually a feature of some Scottish stone circles. Given what we now know about its origin, it seems all the more likely it was deliberately installed that way at Stonehenge.
– Mike Parker Pearson, University College London
This radical reframing of Stonehenge as a political monument built to unite the peoples of ancient Britain has sent shockwaves through the archaeological community. While the monument’s famous solstice alignment has long dominated discussions of its purpose, Parker Pearson argues that may not be the full story.
Expressing Permanence in a Changing World
Stonehenge’s Scottish connection sheds new light on a pivotal and tumultuous period in British prehistory. Around 2500 BCE, when the altar stone is thought to have been installed, Neolithic farming communities that had flourished for centuries were coming into contact with newcomers from continental Europe: the Beaker people.
There’s obviously some kind of interaction between the Neolithic Britons and these Beaker people. I wonder if this is the moment that serves as the catalyst for this really impressive second stage of Stonehenge—an attempt to assert unity and permanence in the face of change.
– Mike Parker Pearson, University College London
Ultimately, Parker Pearson notes, this attempt at integration was short-lived—genetic research shows the Beaker people would go on to largely displace the Neolithic Britons. Yet remarkably, they embraced Stonehenge as their own, ensuring its continued significance for generations to come.
Re-examining Stonehenge’s Symbolism
This Scottish connection adds to mounting evidence that Stonehenge may be more than a solar temple or astronomical calendar. By bringing together stones from the far reaches of ancient Britain—the sarsens of southern England, the bluestones of Wales, and now the altar of Scotland—Stonehenge seems to embody the very concept of unification.
As archaeologists continue to scour the British Isles for the exact spot the altar stone was quarried, one thing is clear: Stonehenge will never look the same again. This icon of prehistory has been transformed from a regional marvel to a monument to the entire ancient British world—and the long-vanished people who built it.
Bit by bit, stone by stone, Stonehenge is finally giving up its secrets. And with each new revelation, we’re reminded that prehistoric Britain was a far more complex, interconnected, and remarkable place than we ever imagined. As for why Stonehenge’s builders went to such extraordinary lengths to unite their island, we may never know for certain. But one theory is now literally etched in stone: Stonehenge was a monument not just for a era, but for an entire ancient nation.
