The bluestones used to build Stonehenge did not al come from the Preseli Hills, were not revered by our Neolithic ancestors and were transported by glacier not Neolithic muscle power a new book by north Pembrkeshire author Dr Brian John argues.

Earth scientist Dr Brian John's controversial new book debunks the almost universally accepted explanation that the bluestones were carried from west Wales to Stonehenge by our Neolithic ancestors.

In a meticulous new study Dr John examines ground-breaking new research and tries to separate fact from fiction. He concludes that almost everything we think we know about the bluestones is based on mythology.

Following a forensic examination of evidence on the ground at Stonehenge and in Pembrokeshire, he proves that the bluestones came from around 30 different locations, mostly in north Pembrokeshire, but that they were present on Salisbury Plain well before work was started on Stonehenge.

He shows that there are no Neolithic bluestone quarries in the Preseli Hills and that no human transport was involved in the movement of the stones from Pembrokeshire to the Stonehenge area. Instead the stones were picked up by overriding glacier ice around half a million years ago, and transported eastwards up the Bristol Channel and towards Salisbury Plain.

"Over the past fifty years there has been a drift, in Stonehenge studies, from science towards mythology," said Dr John. "This has been driven partly by constant media demands for new and spectacular stories about the monument, and partly by the archaeological emphasis on impact.

"So we see an obsession with narrative at the expense of evidence, and a host of newly manufactured myths which are even more wacky than the old ones. It's time for a cool reassessment."

With the bluestones at the centre of attention, this controversial and accessible new book highlights the need for future research to be conducted with due regard for the scientific method.

The author steers clear of the disputes concerning the purpose of Stonehenge and the alignments and arrangements of the stones; but he does express the view that the aspirations of the builders were greater than their building skills and that the monument was abandoned before it was completed.

"The story of bluestones transported by the vast Irish Sea Glacier is," he said, "every bit as wonderful as the archetypal myth of Neolithic argonauts struggling to move heavy stones with the aid of crude tools, heavy sledges and flimsy rafts."

The book is published by Greencroft Books on June 1 and can be pre-ordered at http://www.brianjohn.co.uk/bookshop.html.