A central stone of the famous Stonehenge monument in southwest England came from 750 kilometres away in northeast Scotland, surprised scientists said Wednesday, solving one mystery but raising another: how did its prehistoric builders move the huge slab so far?

The Neolithic circle of giant stones has been a source of wonder and mystery for nearly 5,000 years — in the Middle Ages, the wizard Merlin of Arthurian legend was said to have stolen the monument from Ireland.

Dense forest, marshy bogs and mountains all formed 'formidable barriers' for prehistoric movers, says the author of a study on Stonehenge.{ai:summary}<p>A stone from Stonehenge hails from 750 kilometers away in Scotland, revealing how far its builders roamed. Yet, it raises a query as old as the stones themselves: how did they haul such serious rock across the land without the perks of modern machinery? </p><p>The past lingers like a ghost in the air, ever elusive. #history</p>

Central Stonehenge stone traced to Scotland, but mystery of how it got there remains

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