Thousands of years before the idea of flatpack furniture was invented, Stonehenge may have once stood as an impressive Welsh tomb – before being dismantled and reassembled 140 miles to the east.

This theory supported by Prof Mike Parker Pearson of the Institute of Archaeology at University College London may put an end to centuries-long speculation about the meaning behind the Neolithic ring of standing stones in Wiltshire, which have long been a site of pagan celebration and may date back to as early as 3000BC, Daily Mail reports.

Speaking at the Hay Literary Festival, Parker Pearson said Stonehenge started off as an ancient Welsh tomb. But, when the tribes moved eastwards to England 500 years later, they brought with them not only their possessions, but also the dedicated stone memorial to their loved ones.

‘Their idea of packing their luggage was rather more deep and meaningful than our own. They are actually moving their heritage and these stones represent the ancestors,’ he told The Sunday Telegraph.

Parker Pearson believes that Stonehenge was probably also the site at which the cremated remains of loved ones were taken.

He said that Stonehenge may in fact be ‘the largest cemetery of the entire third millennium BC in Britain.’

Last December, the archaeologist dismissed some theories regarding how the stones were brought across to England in the first place.

As he said: ‘The big surprise was that they didn’t use rollers to move the stones — that’s something of a Victorian myth.’

‘We think they put them on wooden sledges dragged them on rail-like timbers.’

Source: Daily Mail