Stonehenge bluestones were transported from Pembrokeshire
The research focused on the Newall boulder, a piece of rhyolite excavated at Stonehenge in 1924, which some had believed to be a glacial erratic.
Professor Richard Bevins, lead author of the study from Aberystwyth University's Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, said: "We have carried out detailed examinations of Stonehenge's Newall boulder and compared it with hundreds of rock samples from Pembrokeshire.
"Our findings provide convincing evidence that the boulder was detached from a pillar of rhyolite which originated from Craig Rhos-y-Felin, with samples showing identical petrological and mineralogical features not found elsewhere in Pembrokeshire despite extensive examination."
The team used X-ray, geochemical, and microscopic analysis to determine the boulder's origin.
Their findings, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, suggest the stone is not a glacial erratic but a piece of rhyolite debitage from Craig Rhos-y-Felin in north Pembrokeshire.
Professor Bevins said there is strong archaeological evidence of Neolithic stone extraction at the site, strengthening the case for human transport.
He said: "It would have been an incredible feat but, as Stonehenge itself shows, it would have been possible and there is plenty of evidence of haulage technology for moving heavy boulders that would have been available to Neolithic people at that time."
The study also notes that bluestones are not found elsewhere on Salisbury Plain except near Stonehenge, which challenges the glacial transport theory.
Professor Bevins said: "Had they been moved there by glaciers, there would be a much more dispersed distribution of similar stones across the region."
The researchers conclude there is no evidence of glaciation on Salisbury Plain and that the bluestones were moved by people, not ice.
The study involved experts from Aberystwyth University, University College London, the University of Exeter, the University of South Wales, independent researchers and researchers from Vidence inc.
Professor Bevins and his colleague Professor Nick Pearce were also involved in a 2024 study that revealed the Altar Stone at Stonehenge was sandstone from north-east Scotland, not a bluestone from Pembrokeshire.
Professor Bevins acknowledged the Leverhulme Trust for supporting his work through an Emeritus Fellowship.
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