THE BOOK
Some of the ideas discussed in this blog are published in my new book called "The Stonehenge Bluestones" -- available by post and through good bookshops everywhere. Bad bookshops might not have it....
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Wednesday 30 April 2014

Another geologist's view of the bluestone problem


There was a very interesting talk last evening from Sid Howells, who works as a geologist with Natural Resources Wales.  It was in Moylgrove Village Hall, where Prof MPP and I have also held forth in past months -- and was on the topic of Geology and Scenery in NE Pembrokshire.

It was a wide-ranging and thoroughly entertaining talk with some excellent slides, and Sid was not afraid of entering the bluestone debate.  He mentioned the rival theories (and the rival books!), and came down very strongly on the side of Occam's Razor, saying that as far as he is concerned we have to assume that the stones were transported by glacier ice for at least most of the way to Stonehenge, since that's the way the hard evidence on the ground points -- unless the archaeologists come up with some very powerful evidence to suggest otherwise.

It's good to see that there are other geologists around who tend to interpret features (including erratic occurrences) as probably natural phenomena, unless there is clear evidence relating to human involvement.  And it's good to see that there are still earth scientists in Wales who trust their own professional judgment and who are not beholden in any way to the archaeological establishment or the media!

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