The ancient circle of Stonehenge was attacked by vandals during the middle of the night last week, taking a coin-sized piece of the monument away with them and leaving behind a 2.5-inch scratch.

Two men are responsible for the vandalism, accordion to English Heritage who protects and promote England’s historic environment.

AFP quoted an English Heritage spokesperson as saying,

“Thanks to the vigilance and quick action of the security team at Stonehenge, very minimal damage was caused.

A tiny chip was taken from the north side of the Heel Stone with a screwdriver and hammer, but as soon as the two men were spotted by security guards they escaped over the fence and drove off."

It has been reported that the site had not been vandalized in decades. Ironically, visitors were once encouraged to take pieces of Stonehenge away with them. According to a BBC news account:

At one time, chisels would be handed to people visiting Stonehenge, so they could chip away at the ancient monument to get their own souvenirs.

But the practice has been outlawed since 1900, when landowner Sir Edmund Antrobus decided the site needed protecting and introduced charges.

Last May, the first archaeological dig in nearly fifty years started at the site. British archaeologists are trying to unravel age-old secrets to the ancient stone circle. They believe Stonehenge was built around 2500 BC, but that’s simply an estimation.

Around 850,000 visitors per year come to see Stonehenge.