Britain’s tallest surviving stone row may have travelled farther than archaeologists once believed, after scientists traced tiny mineral grains on its weathered surfaces to a distinctive rocky landscape 18 kilometres away. The Devil’s Arrows, a group of enormous prehistoric stones near Boroughbridge in North Yorkshire, have long been linked to a closer gritstone source. According to the new study published in The Royal Society, titled ‘ Deliberate prehistoric sourcing of the Devil's Arrows, Britain's tallest stone row ’, strips of adhesive tape were placed against the stones to recover mineral grains without damaging the protected monument. Dating 236 zircon grains has now produced a striking geological fingerprint, pointing towards Brimham Rocks rather than the nearer Plumpton Rocks.
Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!
