THE BOOK
Some of the ideas discussed in this blog are published in my new book called "The Stonehenge Bluestones" -- available by post and through good bookshops everywhere. Bad bookshops might not have it....
To order, click
HERE

Thursday 29 February 2024

The Battle of the Stonehenge Bluestones -- evening lecture

 



Fishguard & Goodwick Our History / Abergwaun ac Wdig Ein Hanes
https://theatrgwaun.com/production/ein-hanes-the-battle-of-the-stonehenge-bluestones/

Our March talk - booking open now. This should be one to interest everybody -and the speaker is our renowned local geomorphologist Brian John who himself lives on the slopes of the Mynydd Preseli.

"Over the last century there has been a vigorous debate involving earth scientists and archaeologists over the Stonehenge bluestones and their link with Pembrokeshire. How did they get from here to there?
In 1923, geologist H. H. Thomas claimed that glacial transport was impossible and that the bluestone monoliths must have been carried by humans. That modern myth has persisted to this day, and elaborated to include “bluestone quarries” and a “lost stone circle”. But does the evidence support the story? "

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A few weeks ago the committee of the local history group at Theatr Gwaun in Fishguard invited me to give a talk on the dispute surrounding the bluestones -- and of course I agreed.   So here we go -- date fixed as 13th March, starting at 6 pm. I shall seek to be as balanced as possible in my presentation, and hope we will have a jolly discussion afterwards.

Everybody welcome!

Stonehenge photo used on the poster -- courtesy Simon Banton and the Stones of Stonehenge web site.

9 comments:

Tony Hinchliffe said...

Wouldn't it be stunning if Richard Begins turned up with an open - minded attitude?.....he seems to be connected still to Aberystwyth university, but perhaps lives in the Cardiff area.

Tony Hinchliffe said...

Bevins!!

BRIAN JOHN said...

Re my lecture next week -- there are now only 22 tickets left -- so if you want one, hurry! I'm not charging for my talk, and if the theatre is full we will raise around £1000 for the local heritage group. Long may they prosper in their work of promoting the area's wonderful historic heritage......

Tony Hinchliffe said...

Great! Here's a tongue-in-cheek remark: it'd be great to bus some of the younger generation up from the STONEHENGE SCHOOL, Amesbury, whereby some seeds might be sown in the young people in that part of Wiltshire.......

Tony Hinchliffe said...

Hope the talk went well and converted a few fence - Sitters etc,

CysgodyCastell said...

It was a coherent and well structured talk Chris to a full house. I think though that he was mainly preaching to the converted.

BRIAN JOHN said...

Thanks Cysgod -- yes, I think it was well received -- and yes, most of the audience were sympathetic to the things I was saying. To be honest, I was hoping for a bit more rough and tumble in the discussion. Anyway, it's good to know that there is rather widespread scepticism about some of the more outrageous claims being made by Mike PP and his merry gang.

BRIAN JOHN said...

Comment from Hugh 360 on his Facebook page, which he says he is happy to share: I very much enjoyed the talk by Dr Brian John in Theatre Gwaun this evening regarding the glacial movement of rocks across western Britain over numerous ice ages ..The theatre was completely sold out and the presentation was well presented and recieved ...It was great to catch up with a few "megalith enthusiast" friends for a get together as well afterwards and in the company of the trailblazers from the Fbook page The Morien Project , like a meeting of minds . Very nice evening all round ..

Tony Hinchliffe said...

I have plonked this Post onto Mike Pitts' Facebook pages. As a former Librarian, it's second nature to me to still keep disseminating relevant information! Mike Pitts was until 2023 the editor of " British Archaeology " of course. He still has loads of Facebook Friends linked to His site.