New research has revealed ancient builders deliberately transported enormous 25-tonne stones across at least 18 kilometres (11 miles) to build Britain’s tallest surviving prehistoric stone row – the iconic Devil’s Arrows.
The Curtin University-led study, in collaboration with the University of York, UK, is the first to identify the geological source of the towering stones, tracing them to the rugged terrain of Brimham Rocks in North Yorkshire.
The Devil’s Arrows, located near Boroughbridge in northern England, stand up to seven metres tall and form a rare stone alignment in a lowland setting. Despite their scale and prominence, their origins have remained a mystery until now.
The stones are believed to have been transported and erected during the Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age, possibly around 2000 BC.
Lead author Dr Anthony Clarke, from the Timescales of Mineral Systems Group within Curtin’s School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, said the findings challenged long-held assumptions about how and why ancient monuments were built.
“Our research shows these stones weren’t simply taken from the nearest available source – they were deliberately chosen from a challenging landscape 18 kilometres away,” Dr Clarke said.
“Plumpton Rocks, which is closer to the Devil’s Arrows, had previously been identified as the probable source of the stones. Our findings instead point to Brimham Rocks, showing that prehistoric builders transported these enormous stones significantly further than thought.
“Each stone weighs more than 25 tonnes, so moving them would have required incredible planning, coordination and engineering skill.
“This tells us prehistoric people placed real importance on the landscape itself. It wasn’t just about convenience – the location the stones came from likely held meaning for them.”
Co-author Dr Jim Leary from the University of York said the findings reshaped how researchers understood prehistoric monument-building.
“These results show that ancient communities were making deliberate and meaningful choices about where their stones came from,” Dr Leary said.
“It highlights the importance of landscape and shared belief systems, as well as the remarkable effort involved in transporting and raising stones of this size.”
The team used a new low-impact sampling method involving adhesive tape to collect tiny mineral grains from the stones without causing damage. By analysing the age “fingerprints” of these grains, researchers were able to match the stones to their source at Brimham Rocks.
The results also rule out natural processes such as glacial movement, demonstrating that the stones were intentionally transported by people.
Dr Clarke said the research team planned to apply their non-invasive method to other standing stones with unknown origins and conduct targeted excavations at both the monument and its newly identified source site.
“These next steps could help us better understand when the stones were moved and how these extraordinary monuments were constructed,” Dr Clarke said.
Justin Scully, National Trust General Manager for Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal and Brimham Rocks, said the research reveals a direct link between Brimham Rocks and the Devil’s Arrows, connecting two remarkable Yorkshire landscapes.
“We’re incredibly grateful to the researchers for helping us uncover this new chapter in the stones’ story and deepen our understanding of the people who shaped this landscape thousands of years ago,” Mr Scully said.
“The Devil’s Arrows are deeply cherished by local communities, and we’re delighted that this discovery adds a new chapter to their story.”
The study, ‘Deliberate Prehistoric Sourcing of the Devil’s Arrows, Britain’s Tallest Stone Row’, was published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society A (https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.2026.0504).
