This record -- from January 1921 -- is the first record of HHT's views on the bluestones and how they were transported from Pembrokeshire to Stonehenge. (I have seen this reported as a "lecture" by Thomas, but I now think there was no lecture, and this this is the earliest printed record of his views as presented in public. ) Notice how forceful and well prepared Thomas was, even before he had completed his research on the bluestones as presented verbally to the Society on 19 April 1923. He was quite sure, even in 1920, that the bulk of the bluestones had come from the "Prescelly Mountains." Not mincing his words, he claimed that the idea of glacial action "was contrary to all sound geological reasoning". And he was also quite sure -- in his own mind at least -- of "human selection and conveyance from a distance."
In their contributions to the discussion Dale and Engleheart were much more succinct -- but both agreed that the bluestones were -- as proposed by Professor Judd -- glacial erratics.
Professor John Wesley Judd, who argued for the glacial transport of the bluestones in 1901.
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Antiquaries Journal
Being the Journal of the Society or Antiquaries of London
Vol. I January, 1921 No. 1, pp 19-41
The Excavations at Stonehenge, by Lt.»CoL Hawley, F.S.A.,
with an appendix by C. R. Peers, Secretary
(Main text excluded here.)
Antiquaries Journal
Being the Journal of the Society or Antiquaries of London
Vol. I January, 1921 No. 1, pp 19-41
The Excavations at Stonehenge, by Lt.»CoL Hawley, F.S.A.,
with an appendix by C. R. Peers, Secretary
Stonehenge : Interim Report on the exploration
By Lt.-Col. W. Hawley, F.S.A.(Main text excluded here.)
Concluding remarks:
I should like to say something about the foreign stones.
Possibly they once stood in the Aubrey holes, for if the number
of the holes proves to be what we expect there would have been
just about sufficient of them to make the inner circle and horse-
shoe. The Aubrey circle was presumably earlier than Stonehenge,
perhaps of the Avebury period, and would have been of undressed
stones which were dressed on removal to their present position.
This of course does not bring us any nearer their place of
origin, but Mr. Tapp has very kindly undertaken to enlist the
services of the Geological Survey on this point.
In conclusion I should like to express my thanks to my friend
and colleague Mr. R. S. Newall for the great help he has given
throughout the work. He has made all the drawings, and the
excavation of the Aubrey holes was all his labour. Also I should
like to record my thanks to all the members of the Office of
Works staff for their constant and courteous assistance.
Discussion
Dr. H. H. Thomas, Petrographer to H.M. Geological Survey, said that he was well acquainted with small specimens and sections of the Stonehenge foreign stones, and, through the kindness of Colonel Hawley and Mr. Tapp, he had now had ample opportunity of studying the stones themselves. He had not altogether been unprepared to find that, with a few exceptions, all the 'bluestones ' were linked together by a common character, that made it practically certain that they had all been derived from the same area, and possibly from the same rock- mass. The bluestones are mainly diabases that are remarkable for the presence of white or pinkish irregularly bounded felspathic spots that vary from the diameter of a pea to twice or three times that dimension. The speaker pointed out that the occurrence of such felspathic spots was highly characteristic of, and as far as he was aware confined to, the diabase sills of the Prescelly Mountains of Pembrokeshire. Many such general localities as Devon, Cornwall, Wales, and Cumberland had been suggested by previous writers as producing similar rocks, but now he was glad to be able for the first time to point to a locality where there existed a rock absolutely identical with that of which the majority of the bluestones was composed ; and it occurred both in situ and as boulders comparable in size to the Stonehenge monoliths. Another highly characteristic rock of which there were two stones at Stonehenge, and of which an abundance of chips had been unearthed in recent excavations, was a beautifully banded spherulitic rhyolite. There should be no difficulty in identifying its source, and the speaker hoped shortly to be able to do so.
I should like to say something about the foreign stones.
Possibly they once stood in the Aubrey holes, for if the number
of the holes proves to be what we expect there would have been
just about sufficient of them to make the inner circle and horse-
shoe. The Aubrey circle was presumably earlier than Stonehenge,
perhaps of the Avebury period, and would have been of undressed
stones which were dressed on removal to their present position.
This of course does not bring us any nearer their place of
origin, but Mr. Tapp has very kindly undertaken to enlist the
services of the Geological Survey on this point.
In conclusion I should like to express my thanks to my friend
and colleague Mr. R. S. Newall for the great help he has given
throughout the work. He has made all the drawings, and the
excavation of the Aubrey holes was all his labour. Also I should
like to record my thanks to all the members of the Office of
Works staff for their constant and courteous assistance.
Discussion
Dr. H. H. Thomas, Petrographer to H.M. Geological Survey, said that he was well acquainted with small specimens and sections of the Stonehenge foreign stones, and, through the kindness of Colonel Hawley and Mr. Tapp, he had now had ample opportunity of studying the stones themselves. He had not altogether been unprepared to find that, with a few exceptions, all the 'bluestones ' were linked together by a common character, that made it practically certain that they had all been derived from the same area, and possibly from the same rock- mass. The bluestones are mainly diabases that are remarkable for the presence of white or pinkish irregularly bounded felspathic spots that vary from the diameter of a pea to twice or three times that dimension. The speaker pointed out that the occurrence of such felspathic spots was highly characteristic of, and as far as he was aware confined to, the diabase sills of the Prescelly Mountains of Pembrokeshire. Many such general localities as Devon, Cornwall, Wales, and Cumberland had been suggested by previous writers as producing similar rocks, but now he was glad to be able for the first time to point to a locality where there existed a rock absolutely identical with that of which the majority of the bluestones was composed ; and it occurred both in situ and as boulders comparable in size to the Stonehenge monoliths. Another highly characteristic rock of which there were two stones at Stonehenge, and of which an abundance of chips had been unearthed in recent excavations, was a beautifully banded spherulitic rhyolite. There should be no difficulty in identifying its source, and the speaker hoped shortly to be able to do so.
With regard to the majority of the bluestones, he felt certain that their ultimate source lay in the Prescelly Mountains and in the boulder- strewn area to the immediate south-east. All possible proximate sources, however, must of course be investigated, but he felt that the idea of Pembrokeshire boulders being carefully selected from practically all other rocks, and stranded on the high ground of Salisbury Plain by glacial action, was contrary to all sound geological reasoning ; and that such an assemblage of stones, of which so many were of the same type, pointed to human selection and conveyance from a distance. He wished to point out that foreign boulders of large dimensions were not of infrequent occurrence in the low coastal region between Selsey Bill and the Isle of Purbeck, but, as far as they had been exiamined by the speaker, they had all proved to belong to types unrepresented among the stones of Stonehenge. He intended, however, further to investigate these boulders left presumably by floating ice, with the object of determining whether any were like those erected at Stonehenge.
If it should be proved ultimately that Stonehenge types were represented," then the south coastal region would constitute a possible proximate source, but failing that there seemed to him no alternative but to go to the ultimate Pembrokeshire source for the material in question. His investigations were as yet only in their initial stages, and he expressed the hope that he might be able to throw still more light on the sources of the foreign stones that had always been the subject of so much speculation.
Mr. Dale quoted Professor Judd's opinion of 1901 that the blue- stones were glacial boulders left on Salisbury Plain ; and on one of the fragments exhibited he detected striae. Much had been collected for building purposes, and human transport from Wales would be a difficult matter.
Rev. G. H. Engleheart said the expert opinions left the meeting in a dilemma. The bluestones were declared not to be glacial, and even if they had been brought from Wales, it was difficult to believe that they were dressed only on arrival at Stonehenge. Transport of such an unnecessary weight argued lack of intelligence. In any case they were boulders and not quarried stones: one piece was striated, and he thought they were all of glacial origin.
Mr. Dale quoted Professor Judd's opinion of 1901 that the blue- stones were glacial boulders left on Salisbury Plain ; and on one of the fragments exhibited he detected striae. Much had been collected for building purposes, and human transport from Wales would be a difficult matter.
Rev. G. H. Engleheart said the expert opinions left the meeting in a dilemma. The bluestones were declared not to be glacial, and even if they had been brought from Wales, it was difficult to believe that they were dressed only on arrival at Stonehenge. Transport of such an unnecessary weight argued lack of intelligence. In any case they were boulders and not quarried stones: one piece was striated, and he thought they were all of glacial origin.
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