A six-tonne stone in Stonehenge was transported from 750km away. Scientists wonder how

The largest 'bluestone' of the ancient Stonehenge, a six-tonne rock, had been moved from some 750 kilometres away in Scotland to its current location in Salisbury, England, according to a new study that scientists found fascinating.

The study puts to question not only how ancient people were able to move such a big megalith for hundreds of kilometres, but also how human populations interacted in the Neolithic period.

Neolithic period, also known as New Stone Age, ran from 10,000 BC to 2200 BC

How did scientists trace origin of Stonehenge bluestoneto Scotland?

As per a study published in Nature journal, the scientists tested the chemical composition and age of minerals within the bluestone. Bluestone is the name given to rocks that are not native to the area.

The stone’s chemical composition and the age of minerals within it, when taken together, give an “age fingerprint”.

Based on the analysis, the scientists are now positing that the largest bluestone was moved by water from some 750kmaway in northeast Scotland.

The area of its origin is probably around Orkney Islands, according to the study.

It assumes that the blue stone, which is called 'altar stone', was sourced from red sandstone deposits of northeast Scotland.

So far, the origin of blue stones in Stonehenge had been traced to Preseli hills in Wales. The larger sarsen stones - the ones that stand tall at the peripheral circle of Stonehenge, are from West Woods, near Marlborough.

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Sarsens stones are sourced relatively nearby, estimated to be 25 km.

What is the significance of the study?

"The difficulty of long-distance overland transport of such massive cargo from Scotland, navigating topographic barriers, suggests that it was transported by sea," said the study.

"Such routing demonstrates a high level of societal organization with intra-Britain transport during the Neolithic period," it added.

(With inputs from agencies)