I've been invited to give a short talk later this week to the Chartered Institute of Archaeologists Spring Day School at Machynlleth. No idea how many people will be there, but I assume that nearly all of them will be professional archaeologists. So it will be fun to talk on the topic of "Neolithic Bluestone Quarries - the Making of a Modern Myth." When I sent my title in, there was a question mark at the end of it, but that seems to have disappeared.......
It will be good to present some of the evidence which led Dyfed, John and me to write and publish those two short papers at the end of last year.
Will report further, after the meeting.
Do hope it's a bright, clear Spring day at the Machynlleth Day School, and there are NO Metaphorical Mists camouflaging your sturdy efforts to de - bunk the Modern Myth created by those with, it appears, no geomorphological/glaciological/ [or even logical] backgrounds.
ReplyDeleteMachynlleth's not that far from Aberystwyth, with it's decent Departments of Geography and Geology, so that's good!
I had the opportunity to walk across the moor from Gors Fawr towards Carn Menyn last week. Usually the area is too boggy and wild to make this an interesting proposition.
ReplyDeleteThe entire route is littered with stones of every size and shape. To my untutored eye it looks obvious that a geological event removed them from the heights and deposited them willy nilly.
Good luck with the talk - into the lion's den :)
When you combine looking at the photo of MPP on the previous Post about Rhosyfelin's alleged monolith findspot, then come back to this "Myth Makers" Post, the Film Title, "Gorillas in the Mist" springs to mind.
ReplyDeleteActually, Mike's stance and gait is more reminiscent of Ecologist and Conservationist David Bellamy.
Looks like an interesting programme, at the Owain Glyndwr Centre, Machynlleth.
ReplyDeleteWe used to know David Bellamy back in the good old Durham Days -- he used to work (occasionally) in the Botany Dept next door to the Geog Dept. More often, he was out wallowing in bogs for the BBC -- it was his producer who exaggerated all of his little foibles and endearing characteristics and turned him into a lampoon. It's surprisingly easy for programme makers to turn academics into caricatures and clowns, since most people aspire to fame and even notoriety. As others have suggested on this blog, maybe our friend MPP aspires to follow in the worthy footsteps of Indiana Jones and/or James Bond? Swashbuckling style, and GIGANTIC discoveries of things that are not necessarily there at all........
ReplyDeleteActually, archaeology does seem to have had its fair share of larger-than-life personalities. In the past, they tended to wear bow ties...... and to speak with terribly terribly posh Queen's English. Somebody has to buck the trend.
ReplyDeleteAnyone remember Phil Harding recently of Time Team? Very intelligent yet apparently yokelish archaeologist who found fame as team member and drinking companion of Mick Aston and [now Sir] Tony Robinson on Time Team. Wore his ancient excavating media hat, complete with feather, at a pre - Christmas talk in Devizes Town Hall, and still working for Wessex Archaeology. Sir Mortimer Wheeler he isn't, unique he is.
ReplyDeleteIf it was Professor David Bellamy talking at Rhosyfelin's fabulous (in the true meaning of the word 'fabulous'!) quarry, he'd be lisping the words.....[to be continued]
ReplyDelete.........[ to camera]..." this is, of course, the monowith extwaction point"
ReplyDeleteTalkin' of larger than life personalities, how's about Big Personality, "I Wanna Tell You A Story", Max Bygraves?
ReplyDeleteHave a little listen to Max's physical geography take on "There'll Be Bluebirds Over The White Cliffs Of Dover":-
youtube.com/watch?v=47saWCo2UIE
Something that, surely, all Physical Geographers, Geologists, AND Archaeologists can sit back and enjoy....