Stones weighing over 25 tonnes for the ‘Devil’s Arrow’ were transported 18 kilometres

Scientists have linked the origin of the English ‘Devil’s Arrows’ megaliths to the Brimham Rocks in North Yorkshire. According to the findings of a team from Curtin University and the University of York, people transported stones weighing over 25 tonnes for at least 18 kilometres.

The study has been published in *Proceedings of the Royal Society A*. It clarifies the source of the stone, but the question of exactly how the boulders were transported remains unanswered.

Details

The three surviving pillars near Borobridge are nearly seven metres high and form the tallest surviving prehistoric stone alignment in Britain. They are situated along a 174-metre stretch.

Geochemist Anthony Clarke and his colleagues compared the age characteristics of microscopic zircon and apatite grains in the megaliths with samples from possible sources. Adhesive tape was used to carefully collect the mineral grains from the surface of the stones.

The results pointed to Brimham Rocks. However, the nearest outcrops of coarse-grained sandstone are approximately five kilometres from Borobridge, whilst the previously suggested source, Plampton Rocks, is 13 kilometres away. The authors concluded that the builders had chosen a more distant location and rejected the explanation that the boulders had been deposited near the monument by glaciers.

The placement of the stones is thought to date from the late Neolithic or early Bronze Age, possibly around 2000 BC. This is an approximate dating, rather than a precise date established by the new study.

Why this is important

The findings help to estimate the distance over which ancient communities had to transport heavy building materials. Archaeologist Jim Leary attributes the choice of source to the landscape’s special significance for the builders. However, religious or cultural motives remain a matter of interpretation: mineral analysis alone does not establish people’s beliefs.

The study has significant limitations: determining the rock’s origin does not reveal the exact route, the transport methods used, or the number of people involved in the work. The team plans to carry out excavations at the monument and in the area where the stone was sourced to clarify the timing and circumstances of the construction.

Official reports do not specify the number of grains analysed, detailed statistical assessments or information on funding. The full text of the scientific article was unavailable at the time of writing, so it was not possible to independently verify these details.

Source

Anthony Clarke, Jim Leary, Chris Kirkland. Deliberate prehistoric sourcing of the Devil’s Arrows, Britain’s tallest stone row. Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 2026, Vol. 482, No. 2345, Article 20260504. DOI: 10.1098/rspa.2026.0504.

The facts and explanation of the method have been verified against official statements from Curtin University and the University of York dated 9 September 2026. The licensing terms for the text of the scientific publication have not been verified; this material is an independent account.