For centuries, historians and archaeologists have debated how Stonehenge was built — and now researchers believe they may have finally traced one piece of the landmark's complex journey.The monument, which sits on the Salisbury Plain near Amesbury, Wiltshire, was constructed in stages beginning around 3000 B.C., according to English Heritage, the organization that manages Stonehenge.New research focuses on Stonehenge's Altar Stone, which sits near the center of the monument and has long been debated among scholars, news agency SWNS reported.EXCAVATORS DISCOVER PREHISTORIC VILLAGE BENEATH FUTURE GOLF COURSE: 'REMARKABLE JOURNEY'Work by researchers from Curtin University in Perth, Australia, suggests the stone originated in northeast Scotland and reached southern England through a combination of glacial movement and human transport.Using geological analysis and ice-sheet modeling, researchers found that glaciers may have carried the stone as far as Dogger Bank in the North Sea, or roughly 200 miles.New research suggests Stonehenge's Altar Stone may have traveled from northeast Scotland before reaching its final location in southern England.(Andrew Aitchison/In pictures via Getty Images)Prehistoric people then likely transported it to its current site in Wiltshire, another 250 miles away — a feat that researchers said required "tremendous determination."CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTERIn a statement, co-lead author Anthony Clarke said the journey would have required careful planning and coordination."Rather than being carried naturally by ice, the evidence points to a deliberate, carefully planned movement across a challenging and varied landscape," said Clarke, according to SWNS.The Altar Stone, circled above, has long puzzled researchers who have studied Stonehenge's construction and history.
(SWNS)"Our modeling shows glaciers may have transported rocks part of the way during the last Ice Age — potentially as far as Dogger Bank in the North S...