Jul
29
2008

Pic: Save Pendarve’s Quoit |
Pendarves Quoit, in a collasped condition, is in an area of beautiful countryside to the south-west of the mining Town of Camborne in West Cornwall.
Surrounded by bluebell woods the Quoit is by an ancient way which can still be followed from Copper Hill Moors to the sea at Gwithian.
The Quoit stands on private setaside farmland. The Sustainable Trust (Patron: Satish Kumar) is in negotiations with the owners to buy the five acres of land on which the Quoit is situated for community and conservation use. It is hoped, with the help of English Heritage, Cornwall Archaeological Unit and the Heritage Environment Service to rebuild the Quoit to its former glory. On the land around the Quoit we hope to explore ancient farming methods and ways of life. It is proposed that there will be linking wildlife corridors between the existing woods on either side of the field (Pendarves Nature Reserve is next to the site). |
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Jul
11
2008

Pic: BBC |
The BBC have just reported that a major archaeological investigation is getting under way at one of Western Europe’s most impressive prehistoric sites.
The Ring of Brodgar in Orkney is the third largest stone circle in the British Isles, but little is known about it. |
The project will involve the re-excavation and extension of trenches dug in 1973. Geophysical surveys will also be undertaken to investigate the location of standing stones.
Dr Jane Downes of the Archaeology Department, Orkney College, UHI, and Dr Colin Richards of the University of Manchester are the project directors.
Dr Downes said:
Because so little is known about the Ring of Brodgar, a series of assumptions have taken the place of archaeological data.
The interpretation of what is arguably the most spectacular stone circle in Scotland is therefore incomplete and unclear.
Source
Jul
06
2008

Pic: BBC |
A disturbing news report appeard on a Druid Newsgroup last night as General Sam reports that Archdruid Rollo Maughfling has suffered a severe stroke and is now blind and paralysed. The Celtic Myth Podshow wish him a speedy recovery or smooth travels. General Sam says:
We received the sad news in Ireland last night that our dear friend and colleague in Druidry, Rollo Maughfling, Archdruid of Stonehenge and England, Founder of the Glastonbury Order of Druids (G.O.D.), was admitted to hospital . He is blind and paralysed, suffering from a lethal stroke it seems. Rollo is also Stonehenge Officer of the Council of British Druid Orders, the largest of its kind in the world, encompassing at least 18 Druid Orders and Associates at home and abroad, and co-ordinating their work with many more, as the best-known and most active Druid umbrella group on the planet, representing 17,000 Druids.
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Jul
01
2008

Pic: BBC |
The BBC report that the public can have their say on the future of Stonehenge, in a three-month consultation to improve the site.
People can give feedback on road proposals near Stonehenge and the location of new visitor facilities.
English Heritage Corporate Communications spokesperson Renee Fok said people needed to have a say because of global interest in the site. Ms Fok said the consultation was crucial in preparing the site for the 2012 Olympic Games. |
English Heritage expects people visiting England for the Olympics in London will also visit other well-known tourist sites, such as Stonehenge.
Source
Jun
13
2008

Pic: Eire Sarah |
TARA, Temor, Temhuir, or Temoria, is intimately connected with the early religion of Ireland, and has been associated with singular theories. As Tea-mur, it was the mount or home of Queen Tea, wife of the Milesian King Heremon. The centre of Druidical song and power, the seat of ancient royalty, Tara was a favourite subject of glorification by ancient annalists, and has been immortalized in the poem of Moore. But, while bards record a great assembly being held there 921 B.C., Dr. Petrie, the eminent antiquary, is disposed to regard the place as existing only between 200 and 300 years after Christ. |
The high civilization at Tara has been a favourite subject for Bards. The old lady guide at Tara told us that only gold and silver vessels were used at the banquets. Dr. Ledwich laughs at the yarns about its twenty-seven kitchens, and its amazing bill of daily fare. He assures us that the story of Tara rests only upon the fragment of a fragment in the Seabright collection, that had neither the name of its author nor a date. The earliest Romish ecclesiastics, and mediæval writers, knew nothing of early Irish culture or wealth. Continue Reading »
Jun
04
2008

Pic: LuluP |
England’s enigmatic Stonehenge served as a burial ground from its earliest beginnings and for several hundred years thereafter, new research indicates.
Dating of cremated remains shows burials took place as early as 3000 B.C., when the first ditches around the monument were being built, researchers said Thursday.
And those burials continued for at least 500 years, when the giant stones that mark the mysterious circle were being erected, they said. |
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May
30
2008
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Archaeologists may have finally solved the enduring puzzle of the prehistoric monuments: They are giant tombstones of the dead, says a new study released today by the National Geographic Society.
Newly dated human remains unearthed at the megalithic circle in southern England reveal Stonehenge was a place of burial from its earliest beginnings some 5,000 years ago, said Mike Parker Pearson, who leads the Stonehenge Riverside Project. (Read full story.)
You can find a fascinating preview of a show to be aired on the National Geographic channel on the 1st June here. |
May
28
2008

tarotastic |
The Independent has just carried a fascinating article about the geometrical skills of the Stonehenge builders. David Keys, their Archaeology Correspondent writes:
Stone Age Britons had a sophisticated knowledge of geometry to rival Pythagoras – 2,000 years before the Greek “father of numbers” was born, according to a new study of Stonehenge.
Five years of detailed research, carried out by the Oxford University landscape archaeologist Anthony Johnson, claims that Stonehenge was designed and built using advanced geometry.
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May
14
2008
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English Heritage has commisioned Wessex Archaeology to produce a Teacher’s Kit for schools taking kids to the Avebury monuments. About Avebury, the English Heritage site says:
“Avebury rivals - some would say exceeds - Stonehenge as the largest, most impressive and complex prehistoric site in Britain. Built and altered over many centuries from about 2850 BC to 2200 BC, it now appears as a huge circular bank and ditch, enclosing an area of 281⁄2 acres (111⁄2 hectares), including part of Avebury village. Within this ‘henge’ ditch is an inner circle of great standing stones, enclosing two more stone circles, each with a central feature.” |
The Kit will help schoolchildren heading for Avebury and the surrounding monuments make the most of their trip to the World Heritage Site. It is a downloadable resource for teachers of Key Stage 2 and 3 pupils. As well as information sheets for teachers there are on-site investigation sheets, puzzles, maps, treasure hunts and other games and activities to help pupils to learn about the history of these historical sites in an entertaining and engaging way. [Wessex Arch. News] Continue Reading »
Mar
31
2008
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Archaeologists began a historic dig on Monday which they hope will unlock the ancient secrets of Stonehenge once and for all. The researchers started digging a trench to examine the first stones erected at the site – the first excavation at the monument to be given the go-ahead for 44 years.Professors Geoffrey Wainwright and Tim Darvill have begun a major research excavation inside Stonehenge |
Samples recovered from the pit will provide material that could allow the team to date the start of work on the landmark to within 10 years. Those leading the two-week dig believe it will provide evidence to back their belief that Stonehenge was the Lourdes of its day - a source of healing to which diseased and injured ancient Britons flocked seeking cures for their ailments.
Prof Tim Darvill, of the University of Bournemouth, said: “It is an incredibly exciting moment and a great privilege to be able to excavate inside Stonehenge. Continue Reading »