Researchers from the University of York and Curtin University believe they have solved the centuries-old mystery of how the Devil's Arrows, three enormous standing stones near Boroughbridge in Yorkshire, were transported to their site around 5,000 years ago. Mineral analysis of the 25-tonne stones indicates they were quarried at Brimham Rocks, some 11 miles (18km) away, rather than being carried by ice-age glaciers or sourced from the nearer Plumpton Rocks as previously suspected, showing they were deliberately hauled there by Neolithic communities.

The findings suggest the choice of stone was not simply about convenience but held symbolic or cultural significance for the people who moved them. The three surviving stones stand almost 23ft (seven metres) tall, taller than those at Stonehenge, and are arranged across 174 metres on the edge of Boroughbridge, dating to roughly 2500–2000 BC. Historical records indicate the site once contained at least five stones, with accounts describing a fourth stone going missing by the late 16th century and a fallen stone being broken up in 1687 to build a local bridge and repair a nearby manor.