Case 10 · Founder Lifetime · Archaeology & science
Stonehenge: Where did Stonehenge's stones come from?
In the app: “Stones from Far Away”
Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England · c. 3000–1600 BC
Why this question matters
Stonehenge was built and rebuilt over many centuries from several kinds of stone. Geochemistry has traced where the stones came from, and a 2024 study of the Altar Stone changed the picture. The case separates what has been measured from what is still a guess.
The case briefing
Stonehenge is built from three kinds of stone. Chemistry has traced each one to its source, and one result in 2024 surprised everyone.
The evidence
The exhibits in this case. Their full details open in the app.
- Scientific findingPublished 2020
Sarsen chemistry
- Scientific findingPublished 2015–2019
Bluestone quarries
- Scientific findingPublished 2024
The Altar Stone
- Written laterEnglish Heritage summary
Building phases
How the investigation works
After the briefing and exhibits, you complete three steps. Every answer is explained, and the verdict lists the sources.
- 1
Chronology
Put the events back in order, oldest first. BC and AD are handled correctly, and there is no year zero.
- 2
Time and place
Match discoveries and events to where and when they happened, without inventing precision.
- 3
Supported conclusions
Sort claims into supported, going beyond the evidence, or contradicted. Every answer explains why.
What is still unknown
How the stones were moved, and the exact route from Scotland, are unknown.
Sources
- English Heritage: History of Stonehenge
- Nash et al. 2020, Science Advances
- Parker Pearson et al. 2019, Antiquity
- Clarke et al. 2024, Nature
Case content last checked 2026-10-13. Not reviewed by an independent historian. Found an error? Tell us.
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