The stone circles at Stonehenge consist of two main types of stone, a bluestone and a sarsen stone. Both types have been transported many miles from their original outcrops, the bluestones from the Prescelly Hills, 140 miles to the west (Thomas, 1923, p. 239), the sarsens from the chalk downs 21 miles to the north. To date, the blue? stones, because of the distance transported, have received the greater publicity even though the sarsens are larger and several times heavier. In their natural state sarsens consist of large blocks of silicified sandstone that lie at certain localities on the downs. The nearest outcrops to Stonehenge are shown (Fig. 1) and there is no evidence to suggest that the stones were moved to Stonehenge by agencies other than human. The problem is?how and along what route were the stones, some weighing as much as 50 tons, transported? At the time of movement in the early Bronze Age (1500 b.c) there were supposedly no wheels in Britain, no beasts of burden and, other than raw hide, no rope. This is based on negative evidence, but see Clark (1952, pp. 101, 122, 226, and Huntingford, 1934, p. 456). Route.?In the only study of the transportation problem to date, Atkinson (1956) suggested that the Stonehenge sarsens originated on the Marlborough Downs because the largest outcrops occur there today. According to him, selected sarsens were dragged to Avebury, blessed, then dragged one at a time on sledges over hardwood rollers to Stonehenge. To avoid the steep descent of the Chalk escarpment Atkinson swings his route westwards to cross the Vale of Pewsey at its narrowest point (Fig. 1). Using this route Atkinson (1956, p. 115) calculated that the eighty-one sarsen stones were moved one at a time, at an average speed of half a mile a day and the task occupied 1500 men for ten years. Later he suggested that the minimum hauling party for the heaviest stone would be 100 men, increased to 450 up Redhorn Hill (written com? munication, 1958). These figures are for the haulers only and do not include the additional men required to shift the rollers and steer the sledge. Despite the advantages there are six objections to Atkinson's route. (i) The labour requirements are large. (ii) The route is 4 miles longer than necessary. (iii) A sur? prising number of sarsens outcrop south of the Kennet?many admittedly are smaller than those on the Marlborough Downs, but this may simply mean that the larger stones have been removed. (iv) Avebury does not lie on the direct route to Stonehenge. (v) It would be easier to have the stones blessed in situ. (vi) The ascent of Redhorn Hill is unnatural, unnecessary, and more than negates any advantage of the detour. A possible alternative route,1 based on field work undertaken during 1958, is sug? gested (Fig. 1). It has the following advantages: it is shorter than Atkinson's route and is essentially downhill for 17 of its 21 miles. It would account for the pebbles of opalescent quartz found in some of the Stonehenge sarsens, because opalescent quartz is found in sarsen outcrops at Lockeridge (oral communication from R. J. C. Atkinson, 1956) which is en route. It also connects with the Avenue at Amesbury and there is thus no need to explain how the sarsens were dragged across the Avenue. This alternative route may be divided into five stages. (i). A steady but gentle climb for 3 miles from Lockeridge (500 feet) to the saddle (708 feet) between Walker's and Knap Hills, with a possible subsidiary route at Huish. (ii). A slide or slides down the chalk escarpment. (iii). The crossing ofthe Vale of Pewsey. (iv). The journey down the Avon valley. (v). The journey up the Avenue from Amesbury. For the moment, with the exception of stage (ii), we may assume that the stones were hauled in the conventional manner on sledges over wooden rollers.