Stonehenge Pic: Stonehenge News

There has been some controversy over the route of the Olympic Flame as  it wends its way during July 2012 to the Olympic Games which are currently being held in the UK. This is Bath reports that:Olympic torch relay organisers have reassured tourism bosses that the Olympic flame will visit the iconic backdrop of Stonehenge, after it was left off the official relay route through the West.

Instead of forming part of the public route through Wiltshire in July, the Olympic flame will be taken at dawn to the stones for a closed photo opportunity the morning after its overnight stop in nearby Salisbury.

The decision does mean, however, the public will not be able to descend on Stonehenge to see the once-in-a-lifetime moment it is carried around the Neolithic monument.

English Heritage, which manages the stones, and Olympic Torch Relay bosses confirmed the early morning visit after publishing a route which did not include Stonehenge or Avebury.

Western Daily Press reader Margaret Scott said:

Obviously Stonehenge is one of the major tourist attractions in Britain and it just seemed ridiculous if the torch relay is going to Amesbury but not going a mile to the west to be run around Stonehenge. They surely are not missing it out?

A spokesman for English Heritage said that they had been informed by the Olympic organisers that the torch would be driven to Stonehenge and back again early on July 12, before it is scheduled to leave Salisbury Cathedral, for a photocall.

Read the full story on the This is Bath website.

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Back in August, 2011 the Guardian reported that King Arthur Pendragon appeared at the high court in London to argue that the “royal” remains should be returned to their age-old resting place in Wiltshire.

Pendragon, a 57-year-old former soldier and biker who changed his name by deed poll, wanted the high court to give permission for a judicial review of the government’s decision to allow the remains to be taken away for analysis.

But Mr Justice Wyn Williams refused King Arthur, ruling there was insufficient evidence to show the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) had acted unreasonably. Arthur said:

Even though on this occasion my appeal has been dismissed I am still very much hopeful that I can win in the future. I wasn’t asking for the bones to be put back straight away, I simply wanted confirmation that they will be returned to the site as soon as possible.

He said druids felt the remains were “guardians” of the site.

The judge heard that the cremated remains of more than 40 bodies – thought to be at least 5,000 years old – were removed from a burial site at Stonehenge in 2008 , with ministers giving researchers from Sheffield University permission to keep the bones until 2015. [source]

The Peaceful Protest Continues

Druid and eco-warrior King Arthur Pendragon has been leading a high-profile picket based at Stonehenge with the intention of getting the remains of the ancient dead returned to their resting place.

King Arthur said: “Let those we lay to rest, stay to rest.”

Button badges for King Arthur’s campaign proclaim “Bring back the ancient dead!”

Remains of the ancient dead that were buried at Stonehenge were removed by archaeologists and it was said that after carbon dating them they would be returned. However, this has not been done and the remains of the bones of the ancient dead have been held at Sheffield University.

King Arthur and other druids and pagans refer to these bones as those of ancient ancestors. Stonehenge is regarded as temple for druids and pagans. The ancestors who were buried there are believed to be the guardian spirits of Stonehenge and were meant to remain where they were buried.

Sign the Petition Below

King Arthur and fellow protesters organised a petition which has been signed by a large number of people. A question on the petition asks those who sign it to sate their religion and King Arthur was proud to be able to announce that the petition had signatures from over 60 people from different religious pathways and beliefs.

To Support King Arthur’s call for the reburial at Stonehenge of the Ancient cremated human remains (known as the Guardians) held by Sheffield University , please sign the following E Petition;
( http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/14696 )

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Handster at http://www.handster.com/celtic_myth.html or by using the QR code opposite. It’s als found on the Opera Marketplace as well as AppBrain in the US.
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Thornborough Henges, North Yorkshire.Pic :Jane Tomlinson, Heritage Action

The Heritage Trust Blog reports : CAMPAIGNERS say allowing people access to a set of ancient monuments in North Yorkshire whose importance is said to rival Stonehenge is crucial to safeguarding their future. The Thornborough Heritage Trust has been set up to protect and raise awareness of the six “henges” and other Neolithic and Bronze Age sites on fields between Bedale and Ripon, with one of its first  objectives being to open them up to visitors.Dr Jan Harding, one of the trust’s founders and a senior archaeology lecturer at Newcastle University, said::

Despite being of unique cultural value and being described by English Heritage as the most important prehistoric site between Stonehenge and the Orkneys, it is closed to visitors, lacks educational information and sits in an extensively quarried landscape. At the moment, there isn’t even a display board. Getting some kind of formal access for the public is vital.”

It’s a while since we at Heritage Action went there (as part of our campaign against Tarmac PLC’s application to quarry its surroundings) but we do recall it was very visitor-unfriendly with no signage, parking or access. We also remember two more things that might be helpful:

In 2006 (while Tarmac was trying to get permission to extend their quarry) the landowner announced he wanted to make the monument into a tourist attraction with a car park and visitor centre and Tarmac were supportive:

 “We see no conflict in principle between tourists visiting the henges and continuation of our quarry at Nosterfield with the useful employment it provides. [Nidderdale Today, March 2006]

And earlier, in 2005, Tarmac offered to give 60 acres of land next to the Henges to a charitable trust on behalf of the Nation to protect it for all time from further exploitation, saying (in the words of their Area Director, Simon Phillips):

“The preservation of the henges is vitally important to us all, and we look forward to working with English Heritage and North Yorkshire County Council to develop this charitable trust.” [Ripon Today, June 2005]

Ah the benefits of a good memory! That might be the answer. Tarmac were both supportive of tourism and anxious to protect the Henges before they got permission so they’ll hardly be less supportive of tourism or less anxious to protect the Henges now they have got permission will they?  Nor less generous – the gift of the land would have been worth over a third of a million if it had happened would it not? So they’d hardly now refuse to finance some formal access, carparking, the best information boards money can buy and a fund to provide a Rolls Royce interpretation facility in the local village, as befits the most important prehistoric site between Stonehenge and the Orkneys. £350K would cover it splendidly.

Please help by reminding Mr Phillips about what he said (you can contact him via the press relations department of Tarmac pr@tarmac.co.uk and/or their parent company Anglo American james.wyatt-tilby@angloamerican.com  Hopefully he’ll remember, but just point him to this article to make sure. We’re confident both Tarmac and Anglo American, being honorable, honest companies, ever anxious to protect their reputations and help local communities will agree to donate the money without delay.

Source 1

Source 2

You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Wizzard-Media-Celtic-Myth-Podshow/dp/B004W8QR58 or by using the QR code opposite.
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The exposed “causeway” must be watered constantly in order to preserve it Pic: BBC News

Jason Palmer- Science and technology Reporter for  BBC NEWS  tells us: Renowned Bronze Age archaeological site Flag Fen in Cambridgeshire will host a first-of-its-kind dig that makes the public integral to the project.

The idea combines both “crowdfunding” and “crowdsourcing”; for contributions starting at £125, donors can get their hands very dirty and dig for a day.

The venture’s website will also stream live video from the dig as well as host lectures and interviews with experts.

The aim is to fully explore the site before it dries out and is destroyed.

Flag Fen was discovered in 1982 by archaeologist Francis Pryor, who uncovered part of a one mile (1.6km) causeway across the Fenland marshes in
Cambridgeshire.

The site lies largely underground, preserved for 3,000 years beneath a layer of peat that keeps artefacts from decaying.

An exposed part of the site, called the preservation hall, shows some of the thousands of timbers that make up the site poking up through the ground, and
these are regularly watered to stave off decay.

“It’s the only place in Europe where you can see this kind of archaeology exposed,”

said Lisa Westcott Wilkins, managing director of Digventures, the firm behind the new project.

Beneath, the peat will have preserved not just the wood artefacts such as  leather and other organic material, which at other Bronze Age sites will have
long since been consumed.

“The reason Flag Fen doesn’t have the sort of public profile of Stonehenge is  that there aren’t all these huge stones everywhere people can see – the entire site rests on top of very sensitive archaeology,”

she told BBC News.

But the water that has kept Flag Fen preserved until now is seeping away, due in part to climate change but largely to active drainage and the sprawl of neighbouring Peterborough, which nearly reaches the borders of the site.

Pic: BBC News

So the team at Digventures chose Flag Fen as its flagship site to try a new kind of archaeology, against a difficult global economic climate.

To read more about this fascinating project visit the BBC News report

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Wizzard-Media-Celtic-Myth-Podshow/dp/B004W8QR58 or by using the QR code opposite.
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Men-an-tol Pic: Rainbow Network

Thanks to our Guest blogger, Glenn Broughton, for the following article. Our world is changing rapidly. The whole world has opened up before us through the Internet and wireless communications and our future lies uncertainly in front of us. Or does it lay partly behind us?

Interestingly, more people than ever before are now visiting and interested in ancient sacred sites across the globe. Stonehenge in England, the Pyramids in Egypt and Machu Picchu in Peru, are household names. What is it that is attracting so many people to check out these places? Who built these ancient temples and why?

Today these now-ancient sacred sites might at first appear to be just piles of rocks, dead relics of a bygone age. However, with an appreciation of our ancestors’ perspective and stories and myths passed down through the generations, we see a different story.

In Tune

It seems we are instinctively drawn to reconnect with the earth in a very personal way. Our ancestors knew the Earth intimately and understood its wisdom. They lived in much closer communion with the planet than we do today. Their sense of the natural forces of the Earth must have been a whole-body awareness like that of indigenous peoples around the world today, able to sense the serpentine currents of electromagnetic energy which course through the ground following the subterranean streams of water.

Their observations of the rising and setting sun’s movement along the horizon and the behaviour of the moon and stars in the night sky over generations would have developed into a body of knowledge recorded by site alignments and stone placements. This not only alerted them to the changing seasons but also to those times when the Earth energies and cosmic influences were strongest.

Everything is Energy

The trees were the first to teach us the consequences of enclosing natural energy. The Druids performed all their ceremonies in sacred groves for this reason. The stone circle builders developed this theme and used crystal-studded rocks to harness the natural energies. It took another five thousand years before we rediscovered the potential of crystal which we have successfully harnessed to power our computer based world.

Will water be the next great ‘discovery’? There is a growing understanding of the unique properties of water, such as its ability to hold information or memory, like crystal. Will the stories of holy wells having healing properties turn out to be backed up by the emerging science?

Working with the Energy

Science and open-minded spirituality appear to have run full circle and finally come together to reach the same place, namely that like attracts like and we create our reality – the laws of the universe make it impossible for anything else to happen.

On some level we still know what our ancestors knew – that the ancient sacred sites hold power and potential. The stone circles, chambers, temples and structures are containers of the Earth’s electromagnetic energy that is the same frequency as that of our brainwaves when we are in a meditative state. The law of resonance is the principle behind the power of prayer and ritual conducted in sacred space – in other words, sacred sites really work! Combining ‘New Age’ thinking with ‘Stone Age’ technology gives an updated meaning to the phrase ‘The New Stone Age’!

Glenn Broughton has been researching and visiting ancient sacred sites for twenty years and is drawn to explore their energetic properties and how such places of power affect us today. He has been a tour guide for most of this time leading groups exploring the mystery of sacred sites through Journeys With Soul http://www.journeyswithsoul.com. He also lecturers internationally on sacred sites, earth mysteries and crop circles, and is the co-founder / co-organizer of Earth Spirit Conferences http://www.earthspiritconferences.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Glenn_Broughton.

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Wizzard-Media-Celtic-Myth-Podshow/dp/B004W8QR58 or by using the QR code opposite.
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Location of Wales (in Orange) Pic: Wiki

Last July (2011) in Swansea, Alun Ffred Jones AM, Minister for Heritage, launched the Archwilio project at the Treftadaeth Conference. The system gives access to over 100,000 records maintained by the four Welsh archaeological trusts. The Minister observed: Wales is the first country in Britain that has made all its archaeological records available online. Archwilio will be a tremendous asset not only for the people of Wales but also for those further afield who have an interest in the rich archaeology and cultural heritage of our country

He added that he was delighted to see independent organisations developing systems that will contribute towards addressing some of the aims set out in his The Welsh Historic Environment Strategic Statement, published in 2009.

What is Archwilio?

Archwilio is the online access system to the Historic Environment Records (HERs) of Wales. The system has been developed through a partnership of the four Welsh Archaeological Trusts to provide wider public access to this valuable resource. We believe that the dissemination of information leading to a wider understanding of our cultural heritage and historic environment is the most effective conservation tool. Archwilio translates as to explore, examine or audit and therefore encapsulates the use of the HERs in relation to the historic environment.

The four regional historic environment records compiled and maintained by the four Welsh Archaeological Trusts (WATs) aim to provide a comprehensive catalogue of archaeological and historical sites and finds of all periods throughout Wales. They offer a unique opportunity to investigate the heritage of Wales. Currently, about 100,000 individual entries are held by the four regional records, which are continually up-dated and expanded as new information becomes available. The HERs fulfil a wide variety of functions including assisting in the positive management and presentation of the historic landscape, planning control, and as a source for input to local history, conservation and tourism projects.

The HER covers all aspects of human activity in the landscape from early prehistory to the twentieth century without prejudice. Details of well- and lesser-known sites can be found, in addition to records generated by archaeological projects undertaken in the area. If you are interested in researching your local area, or finding out more about a particular historical period, this is a good place to start.

How you can help

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Wizzard-Media-Celtic-Myth-Podshow/dp/B004W8QR58 or by using the QR code opposite.
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The Orkney Temple Pic: BBC

On New Year’s Day, the BBC showed a program in the History of Britain series with Neil Oliver about the newly-discovered 5,000 year old Temple on Orkney. Built 500 years before the iconic monument of Stonehenge. The temple is opening new windows onto the beliefs of Neolithic people, turning the map of ancient Britain upside down. This is a vast site of undisturbed archaeology, set within one of the most important ancient landscapes in the world.

Already the site is revealing a series of incredible finds including the first ever discovery of Neolithic painted wall decorations, and even the pigments and paint pots used by Stone Age artists.

All the new archaeological evidence, and the wonders of special effects, has now been used to create a 3-D world of the entire temple, allowing Neil to walk inside in a bid to understand just how it might have been used. [BBC]

More amazing clips from this series can be found in the series clips library on the BBC website.

The Ness of Brodgar

The Daily Mail reports that a 5000-year-old temple in Orkney could be more important than Stonehenge, according to archaeologists. The site, known as the Ness of Brodgar, was investigated by BBC2 documentary A History of Ancient Britain, with presenter Neil Oliver describing it as ‘the discovery of a lifetime’.

So far the remains of 14 Stone Age buildings have been excavated, but thermal geophysics technology has revealed that there are 100 altogether, forming a kind of temple precinct. Until now Stonehenge was considered to have been the centre of Neolithic culture, but that title may now go to the Orkney site, which contains Britain’s earliest known wall paintings.

Oliver said:

‘The excavation of a vast network of buildings on Orkney is allowing us to recreate an entire Stone Age world.

‘It’s opening a window onto the mysteries of Neolithic religion.’

Experts believe that the site will give us insights into what Neolithic people believed about the world and the universe.

Nick Card, an archaeologist from the University of the Highlands and Islands, said:

‘It’s an archaeologist’s dream site. The excitement of the site never fades. This site is a one-off.’

Professor Mark Edmonds from the University of York, meanwhile, describes the excavation as ‘a site of international importance’.

Some parts of the temple are 800 years older than Stonehenge, which lies 500 miles to the south in Wiltshire.

The site is very close to the Ring of Brodgar stone circle and the standing stones of Stenness and is surrounded by a wall believed to have been 10-feet high.

Read more and see the incredible pictures at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2081254/Stone-Age-temple-Orkney-significant-Stonehenge.html#ixzz1j9UX5jHY

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Wizzard-Media-Celtic-Myth-Podshow/dp/B004W8QR58 or by using the QR code opposite.
If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

The Bend of the river Boyne, or Brú na Bóinne in Co Meath Ireland, contains over forty archaeological sites and has been an important ritual, social and economic centre for thousands of years. Many of the tales we have told and will tell are based in the Bru na Boyne area. e.g Episode 021 Fostered by Milk Pails. The universal value of the site was recognized in 1993 when it was designated a World Heritage Site, only one of three in Ireland.

The Heritage Council in collaboration with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government is currently drafting a Research Framework for Brú na Bóinne, re-assessing key priorities and looking at where future research should be directed. Continue Reading »

Originally posted 2008-12-23 10:26:08. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Pic: The Belfast Telegraph

The Belfast Telegraph tells us Prehistoric mysteries uncovered in an archaeological dig at a Co Down road scheme have been revealed to the public   The team behind the dig at the A1 Loughbrickland road scheme has uncovered not just a Bronze Age burial ground but also a Neolithic settlement dating back some 6,500 years. The settlements, which contained a number of intriguing artefacts, lay on a finger of land which is believed to have been almost surrounded by water in prehistoric times. Three books on the finds have been published, including ‘Digging Down’, a children’s book, and a number of information boards at Loughbrickland lakeside were unveiled by Education Minister Caitriona Ruane this morning.

Kev Beachus, of Jacobs Engineering UK Ltd who headed the dig team, said that one-hectare site had contained a Bronze Age crematorium and round barrows containing the buried remains of eight or nine people.

“They had been ploughed into the field for years and years. On the top you didn’t know they were there, but when you dug deeper there they were,” he said.

“There were also three neolithic houses — the first to be excavated in Co Down. The three houses all dated to about 4,500BC. The barrows seem to have been in use for about 100-200 years and between the first use and end use is about 1,000 years. That means in 1,000 years we have had eight people buried. Where are the rest of them? That is the big question. Three of the houses burned down and radio carbon dating suggests that they were all burned at the same time. They were living on land between the lake and the bog and it looks like they exploited these for food and security,”

he added.

“We have evidence that they were making their own pottery and there is evidence that clay for the pottery came from the lake.” Continue Reading »

Originally posted 2009-07-02 08:30:25. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Forty years ago, archaeologist George Eogan became the first person in centuries to see the underground passage tomb at Knowth in Meath (Ireland), part of Brú na Bóinne (Bend of the Boyne), now a Unesco World Heritage site. A year earlier, in 1967, the Knowth excavation had uncovered a smaller underground passage leading in from the western face of the megalithic mound, but this larger east-side tomb surpassed it, recalls Eogan, a professor of archaeology at University College Dublin. “The western tomb was stunning but the east one was huge,” he says.

Pic: Spud Murphy

Knowth’s charms had lain undiscovered for hundreds of years before excavations started on the site 46 years ago, with Eogan present. The fourth volume in a series of books on the dig’s findings is published by the Royal Irish Academy later this month.

“We started at Knowth in 1962 and we have been there ever since,”

he says, detailing how the project has uncovered 18 satellite tombs around the great mound as well as unusual findings, such as a decorative flint macehead and a series of eight-century inscriptions within the passages and chambers.

But some of the findings pre-date all of that,

explains Eogan. Continue Reading »

Originally posted 2008-11-29 10:50:58. Republished by Blog Post Promoter