Sarsen

A type of sandstone of the Marlborough Downs in Wiltshire, England. The sarsens are the remnants of a cap of Tertiary period sandstone which once covered the area. They were used by the builders of Stonehenge, Avebury, and several megalithic chamber tombs. Stonehenge is almost 30 km from the quarry site.

Type of sandstone found on the Marlborough downs of Wiltshire, southern England, the remnants of a once much larger deposit from the Tertiary period. It was used by prehistoric man for the construction of megalithic tombs and for the great stone circles of Avebury and Stonehenge, the latter site almost 30 km from the nearest source of this stone.