Stonehenge mystery solved: Rocks transported as part of a competition

Sarsen stones at Stonehenge, up to 23 feet tall, may have been brought from West Woods on the edge of the Marlborough Downs, about 15 to 20 miles away. The stones weigh around 30 tonnes each and would have required significant labor to move. A curator suggests competition could have motivated teams to transport the megaliths, framing the task as a challenge. English Heritage is also unveiling a large replica of a Neolithic hall based on evidence of a structure two miles from the stone circle. The hall may have served as a gathering place where travelers ate, drank, and danced, potentially including competitors. Experimental archaeologist Luke Winter notes that competition is a common human behavior and that people may have been coordinated for a specific purpose.

"Stonehenge's famous sarsen stones may have been transported there as part of a Neolithic race, according to an expert. Win Scutt, curator of properties at Stonehenge, said there may have been an element of competition in lugging the 30-tonne stones from up to 20 miles away. The prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain features dozens of massive, iconic megaliths that form an outer circle and central horseshoe."

"These stones, which stand up to 23 feet (seven metres) tall, have been traced to West Woods, located on the edge of the Marlborough Downs around 15-20 miles (24-32km) away. While there are countless theories as to why the monument, which is around 5,000 years old, was built, Mr Scutt suggests humanity's primal urge to compete may have played a role. 'I think there might have been a sport in getting these stones here,' he said. 'Teams of people, a bit of competition, a challenge.'"

"It comes as English Heritage unveils its largest ever replica of a pre-historic building at Stonehenge, based on evidence of a large structure two miles from the stone circle. This may have acted as a hall where travellers - and potentially competitors - ate, drank and danced together. While there is no direct evidence for a competition, other archaeologists said the idea does make sense."

"Experimental archaeologist Luke Winter, who is overseeing the Neolithic Hall project, said: 'Competition is a thing in humanity - we like to compete with each other. There has to be that sort of element to it. 'I always think, if you stood here 4,500 years ago and somebody said to us, "We've got this idea, we're going to need 75 stones weighing up to 45 tonnes, and I'd like them from up to 500 miles away"...you'd be like, seriously? 'But somebody did say that, and people said yes. For years we've talked about that organically happening with goodwill, but you could also argue that people had to be told to do that for a reason.'"

Read at Mail Online