The origin of the giant sarsen stones at Stonehenge has finally been identified, thanks to a missing core sample that was returned after six decades. Archaeologists have pinpointed the source to West Woods, near Marlborough, approximately 15 miles north of the monument.
The breakthrough came after Robert Phillips, 89, who took part in excavations in 1958, returned a metre-long core drilled from one of the stones. Researchers used x-ray fluorescence testing on all remaining sarsens and compared their chemistry with that of the returned core, which allowed for destructive analysis.
Professor David Nash of Brighton University, who led the study, said it was exciting to use 21st-century science to answer a question debated for centuries. 'Each outcrop was found to have a different geochemical signature, but it was the chance to test the returned core that enabled us to determine the source area for the Stonehenge sarsens,' he explained.
English Heritage's Susan Greaney described the discovery as 'a real thrill', adding that while suspicions had pointed to the Marlborough Downs, it was not certain until now. 'They wanted the biggest, most substantial stones they could find and it made sense to get them from as nearby as possible,' she said, noting the evidence highlights how carefully considered the building of this phase of Stonehenge was.
