Thanks to a missing piece of evidence, the mystery of the origin of the giant sarsen stones at Stonehenge has finally been solved.

In 1958, a 3-foot core sample was removed from one of the stones during an archaeological dig. 

For 60 years, a gentleman named Robert Phillips hung onto this crucial piece of history. For a while, he hung it in his office, then later in his home when he retired to Florida. 

 Last year, on the eve of his 90th birthday, he decided to return it. 

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Using the core sample, scientists were able to pinpoint the source of the giant stones to an area 15 miles north of Stonehenge. 

These giant stones, which stand over 20 feet tall and weigh almost 50,000 pounds each, were somehow transported from 15 miles away, 5,000 years ago. Let that sink in. 

Although this doesn’t solve all the mysteries surrounding Stonehenge, archaeologists can check origin off of their list!