By Tim Binnall
A remarkable new study suggests the sizeable rocks that comprise Stonehenge did not arrive at the site via glaciers and, instead, were likely brought there by the ancient monument's human creators. The intriguing determination, which upends a popular theory surrounding the megalith's origins, was reportedly developed by researchers from Australia's Curtin University using what they described as "advanced mineral 'fingerprinting' techniques." Specifically, the scientists examined hundreds of microscopic crystals found in the rivers surrounding Stonehenge to see if they matched what should have been found if glaciers had passed through the region, and ultimately saw no evidence for the proverbial ice carriage hypothesis.
"If glaciers had carried rocks all the way from Scotland or Wales to Stonehenge, they would have left a clear mineral signature on the Salisbury Plain," explained lead researcher Dr Anthony Clarke, "those rocks would have eroded over time, releasing tiny grains that we could date to understand their ages and where they came from." The lack of such signs being found by the study, he mused, "makes the alternative explanation - that humans moved the stones - far more plausible." While Clarke conceded that the process by which people transported the rocks remains up for debate, the scientist confidently declared, "what we do know is ice almost certainly" had no hand in the process.