GoKawiilDevil's Arrows stones traced to Brimham Rocks, 11 miles from monument site
New research led by Curtin University and the University of York has identified Brimham Rocks in North Yorkshire as the true source of the massive sandstone pillars forming the Devil's Arrows near Boroughbridge. Each stone weighs over 25 tonnes and stands up to seven meters tall, and the study overturns earlier assumptions that nearby Plumpton Rocks supplied the material. The monument likely dates to around 2000 BC, during the Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age.
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The finding shows prehistoric builders bypassed a closer stone source in favor of one nearly 18 kilometers away, suggesting the origin of the material carried symbolic or cultural weight rather than being chosen for convenience. It reframes how archaeologists understand the logistics and motivations behind Britain's ancient monument-building, hinting at organized long-distance transport efforts and deliberate landscape symbolism.
- Devil's Arrows stones came from Brimham Rocks, not the nearer Plumpton Rocks as previously thought.
- Each stone weighs over 25 tonnes and was moved roughly 11 miles, implying advanced planning and labor coordination.
- The choice of a distant source suggests prehistoric builders valued the symbolic meaning of a stone's origin over convenience.
Source: sciencedaily.com, 2026-09-11
Published there as: “Devil's Arrows: Ancient builders hauled 55k-lb stones 11 miles for UK stone row”
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