MPP, National Geographic and Bluestone Brewery

We are all very familiar with the links between MPP and his team and the National Geographic -- one of a small group of "mega sponsors" who put in large sums of cash into archaeological projects (including digs) in exchange for certain exclusive rights.

What is rather more interesting is the link established in recent years between the MPP team and the local micro brewery, just up the road. Our good friends Simon and Kerry (and their family) are making a great success of it, expanding their range of beers all the time, and organizing a vast range of convivial events as well, much to the delight of both visitors and locals.  Their web site is here:

https://www.bluestonebrewing.co.uk

The brand name says it all, and I suppose it was always inevitable that the link between bluestones and Stonehenge would feature prominently in their marketing.  All credit to them for that.  Their brews go under such names as Hammer Stone, Bedrock Blonde, Rocketeer, Rock Hopper, Cave Dweller and Summer Rocks -- and the label graphics always flag up the craggy, rock-hard, angular and rather macho nature of the brews -- apart from some specifically aimed at the ladies!

 So rocks, cave men and prehistoric monuments are in --  but instead of concentrating on geology and  good solid evidence as part of the marketing campaign, the Brewery has gone for archaeological fantasies instead, and has more or less adopted MPP and his jolly gang, who of course enjoy a jar or two of ale after a hard day of digging just up the road.  All of the dig sites -- and in particular Craig Rhosyfelin, Carn Goedog and Waun Mawn -- are just a few miles away.  Mike has given at least one talk per year at the Brewery since the diggers first arrived in the neighbourhood in 2011.  To his credit, he gives the talks for free, to raise money for charity --so that is entirely admirable.

But of course there is two-way traffic here -- the Brewery benefits from the drinking expenditures of the diggers, and from the crowds attracted to his talks (the most recent one was on July 27th this year)  and Mike benefits from enhanced exposure to the public, via the Brewery's very effective PR and marketing campaigns.  Win / win scenario........

What is more intriguing is that the Brewery has in effect become the publisher for the "interim research findings" of the 2018 Waun Mawn digging season.  The "2018 Interim Report Lite" is, as far as I can make out, ONLY available to the public, for scrutiny, via the Brewery web site.  And if this is the "Lite" version, where is the heavy one?  Has anybody seen it?  Does it exist?

This is all very entertaining, in a bizarre sort of way.  But I wonder whether the Brewery has ever paused for a moment, in its zealous promotion of MPP and his ideas, to consider the possibility that all of this bluestone quarrying stuff, not to mention the speculations about the Waun Mawn "giant circle", is nothing more substantial than a hoax?  History is sadly full of examples of heroic celebrities being adopted or signed up by popular brands before proving to be, for one reason or another, more than a little toxic.

The Brewery knows that Mike's ideas are controversial and that they are hotly disputed -- but the current preference is to pretend that he is uniquely in possession of the truth.  Good marketing?  Maybe.  But bad science.

Anyway, I'm very happy to promote the Brewery via this blog, even though I cannot stand the taste of ale!