NEW research has provided further evidence of Pembrokeshire’s link with Stonehenge – a mile away from where it was originally thought the bluestones came from.

For the last 90 years, experts have believed the stones used at Stonehenge came from Carn Menyn.

But new research has found the majority of the spotted dolerites – a type of bluestone– actually came from Carn Goedog, about a mile away from Carn Menyn.

The research by Dr Richard Bevins, of National Museum Wales, Dr Rob Ixer, of the Institute of Archaeology, University College London, and Professor Nick Pearce, of Aberystwyth University, is to be published in the Journal of Archaeological Science.

In 2011, Drs Bevins and Ixer first discovered the exact location of some bluestones, known as rhyolites, at Craig Rhos y Felin, near Crymych.

Now, together with Professor Pearce, they are confident of the location of another major type of bluestone - the spotted dolerite.

The large sarsen stones are believed to have come from the Salisbury Plain. But the origin of the smaller bluestones has been researched for many years, with little having changed since 1923, when the geologist Herbert Henry Thomas claimed the spotted dolerite came from Carn Meini and Cerrig Marchogion.

Using geochemical techniques, the latest research compared samples of rock and debris from Stonehenge with Thomas’ findings and geochemical data from the 1990s.

Dr Ixer said: “As this and earlier papers show, almost everything we believed 10 years ago about the bluestones have been shown to be partially or completely incorrect.”

Pembrokeshire geologist Sid Howells said: “The whole thing is fascinating. The question is do we really get much further each time or are we still left wondering, at the end of the day, how did they get there?”

According to Mr Howells, there are three theories which explain how the stones made it to Salisbury. Some believe the stones were carried by people, while another theory suggests flying saucers transported them.

Other experts and most, but not all, geologists, believe the stones were carried by ice sheets.