Stonehenge’s ‘altar stone’ originally came from Scotland and not Wales, new research shows

Scientists believed for more than a century that Stonehenge's central sandstone slab came from close to Wales, but new research shows that it matches sandstone formations of Scotland.

"It’s a surprise that it’s come from so far away," said University of Exeter archaeologist Susan Greaney, who was not involved in the study.

For more than a hundred years, scientists believed that Stonehenge’s central sandstone slab — long called the "altar stone" — came from much closer to Wales. But a study last year by some of the same researchers showed that the stone didn’t match the geology of Wales’ sandstone formations. The actual source of the stone remained unknown until now.