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Experts suggest new theory over how Stonehenge was built | The Independent

independent.co.uk

25-tonne stones moved like trains on wooden rails — a new theory rewrites how prehistoric builders hauled Stonehenge's sarsen blocks across miles of open land.

Technological DeterminismCollective Action TheoryDiffusion of InnovationEngineering Constraints
Experts suggest new theory over how Stonehenge was built | The Independent

Theory Briefing

  • Experts now propose Stonehenge's 25-tonne sarsen stones were dragged along wooden trackways functioning like a primitive railway system.
  • The trackway theory challenges older ideas about rollers or sledges, suggesting a more organised, infrastructure-based approach to the monument's construction.
  • Sarsen stones at Stonehenge weigh up to 25 tonnes, making the logistics of their transport one of archaeology's longest-running puzzles.