New Study Suggests Megaliths like Stonehenge date back to 4,000 BC and Built by the same group of people

A new study suggests that Europe’s ancient megaliths, including Stonehenge, might have stemmed from a single hunter-gatherer culture in what’s now northwestern France.

Stonehenge mystery solved?

Video Scientists discover the origin of Stonehenge rocks

The Study
Radiocarbon dates and Bayesian modeling support maritime diffusion model for megaliths in Europe

For thousands of years, prehistoric societies built monumental grave architecture and erected standing stones in the coastal regions of Europe (4500–2500 calibrated years BC). Our understanding of the rise of these megalithic societies is contentious and patchy; the origin for the emergence of megalithic architecture in various regions has been controversial and debated for over 100 y. The result presented here, based on analyses of 2,410 radiocarbon dates and highly precise chronologies for megalithic sites and related contexts, suggests maritime mobility and intercultural exchange. We argue for the transfer of the megalithic concept over sea routes emanating from northwest France, and for advanced maritime technology and seafaring in the megalithic Age.