BOOK REVIEW
The origin and formation of the stones that make up the iconic ancient monument that is Stonehenge, is one of those mysteries that has run for many, many years. In this book Brian John seeks to nail the mysteries of the Stonehenge stones, once and for all. As to whether he succeeds in that task, is down to you, the reader and I’m not going to spoil the tale!
What I will say is that this is a superb piece of original research from someone who knows his subject extremely well. Brian John comes from Pembrokeshire and his background is as a geographer who gained his D Phil studying the ice age of his home county. All of this is very appropriate for someone with a long term interest in Stonehenge and the origin of its stones.
Two distinct rock types make up Stonehenge. Firstly, there are the ‘sarsen stones’, blocks of hard quartz sandstone or silcrete. Secondly, there are the ‘bluestones’, which aren’t blue, but are different from the sarsens. As early as 1921, the geologist Herbert Thomas identified them as being the igneous rock, dolerite.
So, the rock types that make up Stonehenge had been identified, but where had they come from and how had they arrived on Salisbury Plain? The sarsen stones were the easiest, they can be found on and around the chalk downs and are hence fairly local in origin. The bluestones were more of a challenge. Petrologically, they match dolerite that outcrops at the eastern end of Preseli, around Carn Meini, Carnalw and Foel Drygarn, all in Pembrokeshire. In addition, there are four blocks of rhyolite and the Alter Stone is made of a micaceous sandstone. Once again, they can be matched to known outcrops in Pembrokeshire.
The fundamental question the was, how had these rocks got to the site of Stonehenge? In particular, had they been quarried in Pembrokeshire and then somehow transported to the site? For years, archaeologists had suggested that this was indeed the case and the stones had been moved by sledges or rafts. But was this correct?
Brian John uses his Earth science knowledge to test this and other false beliefs and comes to the very firm conclusion that they are all glacial erratics. Quite simply they arrived on Salisbury Plain on the easterly moving Irish Sea Glacier around half a million years ago. The Neolithic people were then able to gather them up and work them quite close to the site of Stonehenge.
This is a fascinating story. It’s a detective story with a difference. This book is suitable for a wide audience and will make you think!
Down to Earth 108
2 comments:
There are a lot of very sensible, no - nonsense people from Sheffield/Barnsley area, including Geoffrey Boycott, Michael Parkinson, Michael Vaughan and Joe Root.
But it just ISN'T Cricket how those who obstinately cling on to the human transport myth theory don't even acknowledge that their ideas don't stand up to proper scientific scrutiny!
So the book is stocked by Geo Supplies, Brian. The website link is interesting in that respect, isn't it?
Curiously enough, I was born at Chapeltown, Sheffield, and grew up in nearby Stocksbridge. Sensible folk in that area, many of whom enjoy outdoors pursuits - like, for instance, walking in the beautiful scenery on their doorstep [Peak District, etc]. Not given to preposterous ideas about prehistory.
Tony
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