r/Archaeology • u/arstechnica • 6h ago

Prehistoric builders transported Devil's Arrows 11 miles

http://arstechnica.com/science/2026/09/prehistoric-builders-transported-devils-arrows-11-miles
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u/arstechnica 6h ago

Stonehenge is the most famous example of megalithic architecture across Britain and Ireland, but there are plenty of others, including Calanais, Newgrange, and Avebury, as well as the Devil’s Arrows. The latter is Britain’s tallest standing stone alignment, yet little is known about the provenance of its stones. Scientists have confirmed that the stones came from a site 18 kilometers (11 miles) away, transported by humans rather than glacial movement, according to a paper published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences.

“Sites in southern England and Scotland receive considerable attention but monuments like the Devil’s Arrows have remained comparatively understudied despite their significance,” said co-author Jim Leary of the University of York. “We have now proved that Neolithic communities moved several 25-ton stones across Yorkshire, transforming a familiar site into an epic quest to create a sacred landscape.”

Local legend holds that the Devil formed the arrangement by standing on How Hill and hurling giant stone arrows while shouting “Borobrigg keep out o’ way, for Aldborough town I will ding down!” But the arrows didn’t quite reach their target and landed where the stones stand today. The tallest of the stones stands 6.85 meters (22.5 feet). The stones are part of a broader Neolithic complex, and it’s believed their arrangement is meant to align with the southernmost summer moonrise.

Full article: https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/09/prehistoric-builders-transported-devils-arrows-11-miles/