Researchers analyzing Britain's tallest standing stone alignment, the Devil's Arrows, have determined that its massive stones originated from a quarry site 18 kilometers away and were moved there by human effort rather than glacial action. The findings, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society A, show Neolithic communities transported multiple 25-ton stones across the Yorkshire landscape to build the monument.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-14
A new archaeological analysis of prehistoric bone remains suggests that cannibalism during the Neolithic period was not a uniform behavior but took different forms depending on time and place. Researchers found variation in butchering marks, burial context, and treatment of remains, indicating diverse motivations ranging from ritual to survival or warfare.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-09-11
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.
sciencedaily.com
· 2026-09-11
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