{"id":30103,"date":"2026-01-22T11:07:19","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T03:07:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/?post_type=media-release&#038;p=30103"},"modified":"2026-01-22T12:47:56","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T04:47:56","slug":"curtin-scientists-freeze-out-ice-age-delivery-theory-for-stonehenge-stones","status":"publish","type":"media-release","link":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/media-release\/curtin-scientists-freeze-out-ice-age-delivery-theory-for-stonehenge-stones\/","title":{"rendered":"Curtin scientists freeze out ice-age delivery theory for Stonehenge stones"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>New Â鶹ֱ²¥ research has delivered the strongest scientific evidence yet that people \u2013 not glaciers \u2013 transported Stonehenge\u2019s famous bluestones to the ancient site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The study challenges one of archaeology\u2019s most enduring debates about how the Altar Stone and other rocks got to their current position and strengthens the case for deliberate human transport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Curtin scientists freeze out ice-age delivery theory for Stonehenge stones\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/oOPJolUsmrk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Using advanced mineral \u201cfingerprinting\u201d techniques, Curtin scientists examined microscopic grains preserved in rivers close to the historic monument around Salisbury Plain, in southern England.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The mineral grains act as geological time capsules, revealing how sediments travelled across Britain over millions of years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Using world-leading equipment at Curtin\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/jdlc.curtin.edu.au\/\">John de Laeter Centre<\/a>, the research team analysed more than 500 zircon crystals, one of the most durable minerals on Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lead author <a href=\"https:\/\/staffportal.curtin.edu.au\/staff\/profile\/view\/anthony-clarke-2d868ecb\/\">Dr Anthony Clarke<\/a> from the <a href=\"https:\/\/research.curtin.edu.au\/scieng\/research\/timescales-of-mineral-systems\/\">Timescales of Minerals Systems Group<\/a> within <a href=\"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/about\/learning-teaching\/science-engineering\/school-of-earth-and-planetary-sciences\/\">Curtin\u2019s School of Earth and Planetary Sciences<\/a>, said the results showed no evidence that glaciers ever reached the Stonehenge site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf 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,\u201d Dr Clarke said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThose rocks would have eroded over time, releasing tiny grains that we could date to understand their ages and where they came from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe looked at the river sands near Stonehenge for some of those grains the glaciers might have carried and we did not find any. That makes the alternative explanation &#8211; that humans moved the stones &#8211; far more plausible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Anthony-Clarke-collecting-samples-1000x500.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-30105\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Anthony-Clarke-collecting-samples-1000x500.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Anthony-Clarke-collecting-samples-740x370.jpg 740w, https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Anthony-Clarke-collecting-samples-480x240.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Anthony-Clarke-collecting-samples-1260x630.jpg 1260w, https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Anthony-Clarke-collecting-samples-1520x760.jpg 1520w, https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Anthony-Clarke-collecting-samples-1920x960.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr Clarke said how humans may have moved the stones remained a mystery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSome people say the stones might have been sailed down from Scotland or Wales, or they might have been transported over land using rolling logs, but really we might never know,\u201d Dr Clarke said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBut what we do know is ice almost certainly didn\u2019t move the stones.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Study co-author <a href=\"https:\/\/staffportal.curtin.edu.au\/staff\/profile\/view\/chris-kirkland-fff48934\/\">Professor Chris Kirkland<\/a>, also from the <a href=\"https:\/\/research.curtin.edu.au\/scieng\/research\/timescales-of-mineral-systems\/\">Timescales of Mineral Systems Group<\/a> at Curtin, said the findings highlight the power of modern geochemical tools to resolve long-standing historical questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cStonehenge continues to surprise us,\u201d Professor Kirkland said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBy analysing minerals smaller than a grain of sand, we have been able to test theories that have persisted for more than a century. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere are so many questions that can be asked about this iconic monument \u2014 for example, why was Stonehenge built in the first place?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt was probably used for a wide variety of different purposes, like a calendar, an ancient temple, a feasting site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo asking and then answering these sorts of questions requires different sorts of data sets and and this study adds an important piece to that bigger picture.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The findings follow another <a href=\"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/media-release\/great-scott-stonehenges-altar-stone-origins-reveal-advanced-ancient-britain\/\">major Curtin-led discovery in 2024,<\/a> identifying a Scottish origin for the central six-tonne \u2018Altar Stone\u2019 rock at the heart of Stonehenge, further reinforcing the view Neolithic builders sourced and transported the iconic stones deliberately and over vast distances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The paper <em>\u2018Detrital zircon-apatite fingerprinting challenges glacial transport of Stonehenge\u2019s<\/em> <em>megaliths\u2019 <\/em>published in journal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/commsenv\/\"><em>Communications Earth and Environment<\/em><\/a><em> <\/em>can be found <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s43247-025-03105-3\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New Â鶹ֱ²¥ research has delivered the strongest scientific evidence yet that people \u2013 not [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4490,"featured_media":30104,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"5413,5242,7654,5779,6645,6148","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","wds_primary_category":41,"wds_primary_research-areas":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[41,4],"tags":[],"research-areas":[],"class_list":["post-30103","media-release","type-media-release","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environment","category-research"],"acf":{"experts":false,"post_options":{"":null,"additional_content":{"title":"","content":"","image":false},"related_courses":[{"title":"","qualification":"","link":"","description":"","faculty":""}],"credits":{"author":"","photographer":"","media":[29455,24388]},"display_author":true,"banner":{"image":false}}},"featured_image":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Dr-Anthony-Clarke-at-Stonehenge-1000x500.jpg","author_meta":{"first_name":"Laura","last_name":"Thomas","display_name":"Laura Thomas"},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media-release\/30103","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media-release"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/media-release"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4490"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media-release\/30103\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30103"},{"taxonomy":"research-areas","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/research-areas?post=30103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}