Stumps

Some stones that appear on the plan of Stonehenge are not visible on site because they only exist as below-ground stumps. They are highlighted on this plan and details of them are given below.

Stone 32c

Type: Volcanics Group A

 

Stone 32d

Type: Rhyolitic Group C

Stone 32e

Type: Dolerite (possibly Spotted Dolerite)*

* This classification is tentative based on inspection of photographs of the stumps taken in the 1950s.

Stones 32c, 32d and 32e are in an arc immediately north of Stone 33.

Stumps 32c, d and e with Stone 33 for reference.

Stone 33e

Type: Volcanics Group A

Stone 33f

Type: Volcanics Group A

Stones 33e and 33f are approximately 6m southwest of Stone 33.

Stone 40c

Type: Volcanics Group A. It is approximately 4m northwest of Stone 40 on the other side of Stone 15.

Stone 40g

Type: Lower Palaeozoic Sandstone. It is approximately 1.5m southeast of Stone 41. Stone 40g is exceptional in that its position has been marked at ground level by a lead cover:

Stone 40g's lead cover

Stone 41d

Type: Volcanics Group A. It is approximately 6m north-northeast of Stone 41.

Stone 42c

Type: Lower Palaeozoic Sandstone. It is approximately midway between Stone 42 and Stone 43 

Stone 70a 

Type: Spotted Dolerite (ungrouped).

Stone 70b

Type: Spotted Dolerite (ungrouped).

Stones 70a and 70b are approximately 1.5 and 3m north-northeast of Stone 70.

Stone 150

Stone 150 has two mortise holes which suggests that it was originally used as a lintel atop two bluestone uprights. However, it now lies partly buried in the northeast arc of the bluestone circle where it has fallen from its position as a single standing stone.

Stone 150 is of Type: Spotted Dolerite (ungrouped).

Altar Stone (Stone 80)

The Altar Stone lies at 80° to the main solstitial axis beneath the collapsed upright of the Great Trilithon (Stone 55b) and its lintel (Stone 156), sunk into the grass. The stone itself was broken by the fall of the Great Trilithon's upright and is in two pieces.

Many reconstructions and models of Stonehenge incorrectly show the Altar Stone at 90° to the main solstice axis. The 80° orientation means that its long dimension points directly to the Winter Solstice Sunrise and Summer Solstice Sunset directions.

In the first photo the eastern end of the Altar Stone is seen to the left of Stone 55b, the middle section is visible between Stone 55b and Stone 156 and the western end is out of shot to the right of Stone 156.

The eastern end:

The middle section between Stone 55b and Stone 156:

The western end beneath Stone 156:

Stone 80 is of Type: Sandstone (Devonian)

Stone 72

Estimated above ground weight: 1.53 tons

Stone 72 is of Type: Spotted Dolerite (ungrouped)

Stone 71

Stone 71 is a stump buried in the turf at the edge of Stone 59a.

This photo shows its approximate position.

Stone 71 is of Type: Spotted Dolerite (ungrouped)

Stone 70

Estimated above ground weight: 1.23 tons

Height: 2.34m (7ft 8in)

Stone 70 is of Type: Spotted Dolerite (ungrouped)

Stone 69

Stone 69's west and northwest aspects are difficult to photograph due to its closeness to Stone 57, so these photos show the upper and lower parts separately.

Estimated above ground weight: 2.16 tons

Height: 2.59m (8ft 6in)

Stone 69 is of Type: Spotted Dolerite (ungrouped)

Stone 68

Stone 68 has a long worked groove down its northern face, suggesting to some that it was paired with another stone to make a double-width structure. Although the buried stump of Stone 66 has a tongue worked along one of its faces, these stones are separated from each other and the tongue on Stone 66 may not match the groove on Stone 68.

Estimated above ground weight: 2.13 tons

Height: 2.49m (8ft 2in)

Stone 68 is of Type: Spotted Dolerite (ungrouped)