Prehistoric Builders Transported 25-Ton Stones 11 Miles to Build Britain's Tallest Surviving Stone Row
Learn how mineral clues traced Yorkshire’s Devil’s Arrows to a source 11 miles away and linked a missing stone to a medieval cross.
An 18-foot stone cross in Aldborough, Yorkshire commemorates a battle from 1322 and is believed to be linked to Britain's tallest surviving prehistoric stone row, known as the Devil’s Arrows. Recent research, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society A, supports the theory that these 25-ton stones were transported from Brimham Rocks, 11 miles away, to their current location near Boroughbridge.
Mineral analysis conducted by geochemists revealed that the stones originated from Brimham Rocks, not the previously suspected Plumpton Rocks. Despite the extra effort, the builders deliberately chose Brimham Rocks for the journey, possibly due to its significance in the region's ceremonial sites.
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