Experts reveal Stone of Destiny isn't some mythical piece of holy rock but just an old doorstep

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Its origins have been shrouded in mystery with legends linking it to Biblical heroes and ancient Egyptian royalty.Now it can be revealed that the Stone of Destiny may originally have been a doorstep.The new theory comes after it underwent scientific checks before to being moved from Edinburgh Castle to its new permanent home at Perth Museum which opened last month.Experts discovered that wear on the top of the historic artefact appears to have been caused by footsteps prior to its being used as the crowning stone of Scotland’s monarchs at Scone, near Perth, in medieval times.The first detailed account of the Stone being used in the crowning of a monarch was that of King Alexander III in 1249.Analysis carried out in preparation for its transportation to Westminster Abbey for the Coronation of King Charles III last year determined that the Stone was quarried from the Scone area, suggesting it may originally have been used in a nearby church or possibly a Roman building.One legend of the Stone’s origin held that it was “Jacob’s pillow”, the stone on which the Biblical figure was shown by angels a vision of a stairway to heaven.The 152kg Stone was said to have been transported from ancient Egypt by Scota, the daughter of a pharaoh, to the Hill of Tara in Ireland and later taken to Scone near Perth by Kenneth MacAlpin, traditionally considered the first King of Alba and founder of Scotland.Visitors to the new exhibition are told: “As compelling as these and other myths are, recent scientific research shows the Stone was quarried near Scone and may originally have formed part of a step or threshold, perhaps from an earlier church at Scone or possibly a nearby Roman ruin.”According to Historic Environment Scotland (HES), the