Stonehenge breakthrough reveals surprising path behind ancient stone's 450-mile trek

The monument, which sits on the Salisbury Plain near Amesbury, Wiltshire, was constructed in stages beginning around 3000 B.C., according to English Heritage, the organization that manages Stonehenge.

New research focuses on Stonehenge's Altar Stone, which sits near the center of the monument and has long been debated among scholars, news agency SWNS reported.

Using geological analysis and ice-sheet modeling, researchers found that glaciers may have carried the stone as far as Dogger Bank in the North Sea, or roughly 200 miles.

Prehistoric people then likely transported it to its current site in Wiltshire, another 250 miles away - a feat that researchers said required "tremendous determination."

In a statement, co-lead author Anthony Clarke said the journey would have required careful planning and coordination.

"Our modeling shows glaciers may have transported rocks part of the way during the last Ice Age - potentially as far as Dogger Bank in the North Sea - but not into southern England, meaning the stone would still have needed to be moved hundreds of kilometers by people."

"Transporting a stone of this size over such a long distance would have required planning, coordination and a deep understanding of the landscape - not to mention tremendous determination," the researcher said.