Richard Bevins is giving a talk in Aberystwyth tomorrow, 8th Nov, about the geological work relating to the bluestones. The info is below. If anybody attends and wants to send us a report of the proceedings, feel free........
The blurb does not exactly inspire confidence.
Richard and his team have NOT "identified the exact source of Stonehenge’s spotted dolerite “bluestones” as Carn Goedog" -- they have proposed that Carn Goedog is the most likely source for some of the spotted dolerite bluestones. Neither have they "identified the source of another of Stonehenge’s “bluestones”, its rhyolites, as Craig Rhos-y-Felin." What they have done is to provenance some of the rhyolitic debitage at Stonehenge to the area around Rhosyfelin and Pont Saeson. None of the bluestone monoliths has been sourced to Rhosyfelin.
Too much in the way of unsupportable generalisations, chaps, and too little care with words....... must do better.
Chips off the old block - sourcing the Stonehenge Bluestones
Pembrokeshire’s bluestones and the link with Stonehenge will be the focus of a public lecture at Aberystwyth University on Tuesday 8 November.
"Chips off the old block - sourcing the Stonehenge Bluestones" will be delivered by eminent geologist and Keeper of Natural Sciences at the National Museum of Wales Dr Richard Bevins.
In 2015 Dr Bevins was a leading member of the team that identified the exact source of Stonehenge’s spotted dolerite “bluestones” as Carn Goedog in the Preseli hills in Pembrokeshire.
Three years earlier, in 2011, his team identified the source of another of Stonehenge’s “bluestones”, its rhyolites, as Craig Rhos-y-Felin, a site also in the Preseli hills in Pembrokeshire just three kilometres away from Carn Goedog.
A graduate of Aberystwyth University (Geology, 1974) and Keele where he completed his PhD, Dr Bevins’ research has focused on the Caledonian igneous volcanic rock of Wales.
Between 1998 and 2006 he was Project Leader for the £33.5m project to build the Waterfront Museum Swansea.
Professor Neil Glasser, Director of the Institute of Geography, History, Politics & Psychology said: “We are delighted to welcome back Dr Richard Bevins to give what will be the first in a series of lectures to mark a century of teaching and research in Geography and Earth Sciences here at Aberystwyth University.
“As an Aber alumnus Dr Bevins has maintained his geological research interests and collaborated with members of staff in the Department on the study of the Stonehenge Bluestones in the Preseli mountains, and provided valuable input to the University’s ambitious plans to redevelop the Old College. We look forward to what will undoubtedly be a fascinating lecture.”
Dr Bevins is active in a number of academic circles related to minerology and geology and is a Fellow and Member of the External Relations Committee of the Geological Society of London, Chair of the National Geological Repository Advisory Committee, a Fellow of the Mineralogical Society of Great Britain, a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, a Chartered Geologist and an Honorary Lecturer in the School of Earth & Ocean Sciences at Cardiff University.
The lecture takes place at 6.30pm on Tuesday 8 November in A6 lecture theatre, Llandinam Building on Penglais Campus, preceded by a drinks reception in the Think Tank (Concourse) in the Llandinam building at 6.00pm. All welcome.
Contacts
Jackie Sayce
Institute of Geography, History, Politics & Psychology
Aberystwyth University
jqs@aber.ac.uk / 01970 622212
Arthur Dafis
Communications and Public Affairs
Aberystwyth University
aid@aber.ac.uk / 07841979452 / 01970 621763
Isn't Professor Neil Glasser primarily a Physical Geographer, Brian?
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, can't make it to Bevins' lecture, unless a helicopter miraculously arrives for me, out of the grey - blue, gratis.Neither did I make his charged - for talk at Wiltshire Heritage Museum, Devizes, last year, and my request for a transcript [on behalf of the Blog] fell on stony ground, which was a pity.
Yes, Neil is a glacial geomorphologist with vast experience. I gave a talk on the bluestone problem about a year ago to the same department, aimed at research students and staff. Well received.......
ReplyDeleteBe interesting to know if there are any feedbacks from those attending this afternoon's lecture.
ReplyDeleteFor example, has Richard Bevins acknowledged the two Papers that were written by Brian and his colleagues in December, 2015, in which they state that Rhosyfelin is essentially an entirely natural, but nontheless interesting landform worthy of study for its own sake, without need for any "quarry add - ons" to fluff up its appeal to Mr Joe and Mrs Jo Public, and to over - excite suggestible chaps like senior archaeologist with mechanical digger, Joshua Pollard (as well as his Quarry - Finder Generals, MPP and Colin Richards)?
I had a report from somebody who went to an earlier talk from Richard, on the same topic. Richard was challenged on the fact that he was ignoring the role of glacial and other processes in the evolution of the Rhosyfelin landscape, and my informant was not greatly impressed by the fact that Richard more or less refused to discuss such things. Maybe there will be a few independent thinkers in today's audience who know what the phrase "scientific scrutiny" means!
ReplyDeleteI gather, by the way, that Richard is due to retire within the next year or so. Let's hope it will allow him more time for fieldwork -- I would really appreciate a chance to hoof about in the Rhosyfelin area with him.........
ReplyDelete