🪨 Transport of the Stonehenge stones: a hypothesis debunked by science

For years, specialists have been trying to understand how the massive stones of Stonehenge were brought to their current location, a debate that mainly pits two scenarios against each other: transport by glaciers or a deliberate human endeavor.

To settle this question, a team from Curtin University in Australia used a fine geological analysis method. The researchers examined river sediments near the site to detect any traces left by ice.


Their technique is based on the study of microscopic mineral grains, such as zircon. These small crystals, which are particularly resistant, preserve a chemical signature that allows their journey through time to be traced (see explanation at the end of the article). Their analysis thus makes it possible to determine whether they come from distant regions.

After scrutinizing more than five hundred zircon crystals from nearby rivers, the scientists reached a clear conclusion: no mineral evidence suggests that glaciers ever reached the Salisbury Plain. This lack of evidence therefore supports the idea of intentional transport by Neolithic populations.

The precise way in which these stones were moved remains open to speculation. Some studies mention transport by sea or land using wooden rollers, although these proposals are not formally confirmed. The element now established is that glaciers that might have covered the region at the time did not play the main role in this movement.

Published in Communications Earth & Environment, this work adds to a series of recent discoveries contributing to painting a coherent picture of human efforts in the Neolithic period.

Analysis of detrital minerals

This scientific method allows the exploration of geological history by examining grains of minerals transported by water or wind. Researchers collect sediments, such as river sand, and extract crystals like zircon or apatite.

These minerals are selected for their durability and their ability to retain information about their formation. Each grain has a unique chemical composition that acts as a fingerprint, revealing its age and region of origin.

By comparing these fingerprints with those of known rocks, it becomes possible to trace the past movements of materials. This approach is used to understand phenomena such as erosion, glacial transport, or tectonic movements.

In the case of Stonehenge, the absence of certain mineral signatures in local sediments made it possible to rule out the hypothesis of natural transport by ice, pointing towards a human explanation.