I noticed today that my subversive video called "The Stonehenge Conspiracy" has now had 35,000 views -- that's probably not many views compared with some of the "viral" YouTube videos about that venerable pile of stones, but it's nice to know that some people are interested in conspiracies and like to see the orthodox view of things seriously questioned.......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f4c3F9iEaY
I noticed that your video is dated August 2010, that is, it is about three and a half years old.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I'm wondering if you have, in fact, updated it slightly since then. You mention, for example, that most of the bluestones so far identified have come from Carn Goedog. Is this your acknowledgement of Rob Ixer's and Richard Bevins' recent painstaking and scrupulous analysis of the pieces of bluestone [debitage] found over the years scattered throughout the Greater Stonehenge Landscape?
If you haven't updated it, I think it would be good to also include mention of the recent findings that Dartmoor was affected by glaciation, which strengthens your argument.
I would also place less somewhat less emphasis on your opinion that Stonehenge may never have consisted of many more stones than we see today, though I concur with your central theme that most of the stones, bluestone and sarsen, were quite probably obtained fairly locally.
Wherever the sarsens, in particular, were obtained, it is nevertheless the case that it was still an astounding feat to bring them within what we now call "Stonehenge". Anyone who has stood WITHIN the stones of Stonehenge cannot fail to have been simply awe - struck by the utter immensity and bulk of the trilithon and other sarsen stone arrangements.
I would recommend people take a look at the Eternal Idol website of Dennis Price, for example, where, in early January 2014's entries, there are a number of excellent photographs which show the sheer scale involved, with people completely dwarfed by the megaliths.
Quite right, Tony -- this does need revising. I have done 3 versions of it already -- but with so many developments over the past 3 years there is a lot to be changed. One day, when I can get round to it ---- and for the moment, people will just have to accept it as a historical document of a certain age!!
ReplyDeleteBest wishes for a good attendance at the Moylegrove Village Hall re-arranged talk on Stonehenge, Preseli And The Ice Age on Tuesday, 25th - only a fortnight away, now. Some of the contents of your video will no doubt be aired.
ReplyDeleteHope you attract a few academic Earth Scientists who reside or teach within North Pembrokeshire and Cardiganshire, e.g.Geologists and Geomorhologists from the University of Aberystwyth; also folk from Lampeter University's Archaeology Department.
are there Any archaeologists out there who are willing to Talk about their amazing discoveries in a public forum?
ReplyDeleteAll they seem to do is make a huge media splash followed by stories in the tabloids and local press and retweets all over the internet.
Is there Anyone who actually wants to discuss their findings in public or are we just expected to swallow it all hook line and sinker without question?
PeteG
(Ps. the Captchas on this site are getting harder to read!)
Good point, Pete.
ReplyDeleteRe this: "Ps. the Captchas on this site are getting harder to read!"
I didn't realise there were any --- maybe I don't see them because I am the moderator? Should I do something at my end? Or complain to Blogger?
PeteG,
ReplyDeleteArchaeologists are unable to read Captchas, even I have to take a minimum of three goes, surely the result of my prehistory degree.
I did see somewhere that the designer of Captcha had come up with an improved system with scanned text from documents and used the results to train computers to read those documents correctly. Sounds like a good use for this blog.
Dave
Pete
ReplyDeleteYes, OF COURSE you are "expected to swallow it all hook line and sinker without question"!*! And that includes all the red herrings, as well as enthusiastically and unquestioningly joining in their wild goose [quarries, etc] chases.
Certain of them just make guest appearances on Archaeology documentaries and we must just listen out for their honeyed pearls of Wisdom, and be thankful! THEY are the Keepers of Knowledge and Insight, not to mention Mighty Good Yarns to set us drooling....that is, unless you may have JUST a smidgeon of scepticism.
In the '70's, we had mystical Concept Albums from the long-haired, now us Baby Boomers with interest in prehistory have to make do with Tales From The Initiated.
so if I were to believe all the latest theories the ancient Brits stuck up a pile of rocks that were aligned with the sun & moon that they immediately started banging out a tune on while the honoured dead people were solemly buried. Meanwhile bits were knocked off the rocks to heal people changing the tune of each rock and according to the granary man (remember him?) a huge windmill was erected on top and they started grinding corn.
ReplyDeleteNo wonder they all came out white looking like druids!
PeteG
'tis the rich tapestry of prehistoric life, as revealed to us through intuition by The Chosen Ones......someone should write an Opera based upon it all [Myris?;Bill Oddie?]...of course they would HAVE to include Reg Dwight's "Circle of Life" from "Lion King", by special permission from Elton.
ReplyDeleteAh tempted.
ReplyDeleteM
Myris
ReplyDeleteAre your spectacles Dame Edna style, or Elton-esque?
Thatis, assuming you decide to produce this Operatic Spectacle?!
Thetis, what is she to do with opera?
ReplyDeleteI wonder if she be in the can can chorus many years since I saw that.
Talking of barks and opera all our dogs have songs written from them but Sam had The Green Doggie Opera an homage to the wonderful Lottie and in the style of Kurt Weill.
The avant garde is not what it was, seen through my rose-tinted specs.
Some splendid geomorphology recently, not so convinced by the erratics but as always the correct id is needed first.
Refreshed from my Nubian tripette and wanting to take the MA in Stonehenge studies.
There was a new course from Buckingham
That....
Feel free to complete the Limerick.
M
Hi Myris -- glad you are refreshed after the hols! What is there not to be convinced about with ref to the erratics at Croyde / Saunton / Shebbear? The Croyde / Saunton ones are assumed to be from Scotland -- which is certainly possible -- but their stratigraphic positions suggest they are very old, and as I have argued many times, glacial emplacement is a far better bet than ice rafting.
ReplyDeleteI stand corrected; there is an opera by Boyce called Peleus and Thetis.
ReplyDeleteMy mistake my Achilles Heel.
Mmmmmmmmmmm.
Brian
ReplyDeleteAny glacial/ erratic evidence on Lundy Island, twixt Pembrokeshire and North Devonshire?
Of course, Robin Heath of your area in W Wales makes much of the fact that Lundy is DUE WEST of The Old Ruins in Wiltshire!! He and his co - author made a magnificent treatise on the connections of Lundy and Caldey Island with Preseli and Stonehenge. But I digress.....
Tony -- Lundy Island info is here:
ReplyDeletehttp://brian-mountainman.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/did-devensian-ice-reach-lundy.html
And as for Robin Heath, there are quite a few entries. Suggest you use the search box..... I am not too impressed by his ideas!
No, neither am I! I stumbled upon his joint - authored book on the various places mentioned in my last comment several years ago. One could say his ideas are somewhat unusual.He and his pal seem to have taken the ley line notion to the nth degree and then some...
ReplyDeleteMyris has brought our attention to an M.A. in Stonehenge Studies at the University of Buckingham. Having taken a look at this (it's a bargain at only £6,500) I see that it involves the archaeologist David Jacques who discovered the Mesolithic site near Vespasian's Camp.
ReplyDeleteOne of his talks is on "The POST-GLACIAL Occupation of Salisbury Plain" with reference to his Mesolithic dig. Could we have a potential ally here?