Source: Wiltshire Museum, Devizes
I recall seeing this article before, but I did not pay much attention to it. Remiss of me. It's about the Upton Lovell G2a burial on Salisbury Plain, in a circular mound first excavated by Cunnington in 1801 and later by Piggott. The stones are of cobble size, up to 12 cms long. They are all assumed to have been tools used for the working of gold -- and this is the emphasis of the article.
But what interests me is the fact that they are here on Salisbury Plain -- nice smoothed and rounded erratics including slate, quartzite, medium-grained sandstone, well-cemented sandstone, medium grained dolerite and greenstone. It's just assumed in the article that these stones were carried around by somebody who might have been a shaman or a metal worker -- and carried in to this site from somewhere quite distant. But people do not carry heavy stones around unless they have to, and it is perfectly possible that the stones were collected locally and used locally. So here is a question: might these stones have been discovered in a glacial deposit somewhere in the neighbourhood?
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doi:10.15184/aqy.2022.162
18 comments:
Well, the location is very promising in relation to, for example, Chitterne and its periphery. Must have a good, absorbing, look at all this.....
Yes, it's intriguing that Upton Lovell, Heytesbury House, Boles Barrow and Chitterne are all in the same small area. As you say Tony, this is a "promising" association...........
Also, the clay - with - flints area that you have discussed, with quite a focussed mind previously! Another thing - I'm pretty sure that this Upton Lovell G2A burial has AGAIN been re - visited for archaeological investigation in the past 35 years or so. I will check.....
Something else - in the same as it were, catchment area, David Field has said there may well have been a very significant henge monument in the vicinity of Bishopstrow and the river Wylye.
We can also WATCH an on - line lecture made at Wiltshire Museum at the end of January 2024.
Another aspect of this particular barrow in the Upton Lovell parish area: there used to be a real profusion of barrows, particularly along the Wylye valley floor which were described by contemporary writers in the 19th century as just as prolific as those within a few miles of Stonehenge. This, taken together with the likely existence of a large henge monument adjacent to the Wylye upstream of Upton Lovell, may mean that the so - called 'shaman' had plenty to keep him occupied relatively locally (and Stonehenge wasn't very far to the east of course).
The stones look like they could have been picked up tomorrow on any one of several beaches in Pembrokeshire.
Agree, Chris. They do look very fresh. They are clearly water rounded -- som they have come from either a beach or from fluvial or glaciofluvial deposits. That does not rule out deposition in a till -- till is made of whatever happens to be lying around, available for icve to pick up as it passes on its way..........
Be VERY interesting to know whether any similar pebbles will end up being found WHEN the archaeologists eventually investigate the henge monument just above Upton Lovell parish in the Wylye valley just below Warminster. One of the big clues that it IS a henge monument comes in the shape of a placename: "THE BURY" [NGR 885 419], O.S.Explorer 14.
"An Iron Age Settlement outside Battlesbury Hillfort, Warminster and Sites along the [Salisbury Plain] Southern Range Road" by Chris Ellis & Andrew B Powell. With contributions including some we know on this Blog, viz Michael J ALLEN, Phil HARDING, Matt LEIVERS & Jacquiline McKINLEY. Published by Wessex Archaeology, 2008. Downloadable.
This is worth examining - it's lengthy.
We have discussed Clay Pit Hill in Chitterne Parish previously. Isobel Geddes had remarked that they may be part of the Reading Beds, with their " rounded pebbles". Thus, not far at all from the particular Upton Lovell barrow under discussion.....
Yes, there is a chance that rounded pebbles might have come from poorly consolidated conglomerates. But what intrigues me is the presence of medium-grained dolerite, together with assorted sandstones and greenstone. I wish we knew more about the geology of these pebbles.......
Hmm, I intend to walk up to them thar rounded pebbles etc on Clay Pit Hill quite soon.......Chitterne village is also a fascinating - sounding village - regularly its main road gets flooded. Chitterne also its own blogsite. And you've had your own interactions thence.
Yes, it is indeed a shame no geologist such as the Stonehenge twins Ixer - Bevins haven't as yet been able to at least scrutinise the individual pieces of rocks to give us some idea, at least, of their possible provenance. Do you believe they are all glacial erratics, Brian? I walked up Clay Pit Hill today. Saw lots of flints in the fields en route. Need to return to peruse the clay pit itself as far as possible - it's in a wood. Tremendous view. Could look towards the location of the Upton Lovell barrow whose contents we're discussing, and indeed somewhat further e.g. towards Boles Barrow which may well have contained a block of dolerite when excavated by William Cunnington in 1801 - Aubrey Burl was convinced of this in his 2006 " A Brief History of Stonehenge ".
No b-- I don't believe these pebbles are erratics. I would not put it as strongly as that. But it is a possibility and at least this needs to be in the frame when considering where they might have come from.
I intend finding out the results of archaeological excavations at Codford Circle fairly close to Clay Pit Hill.This monument may have had ritual as well as defensive purposes.Dr Michael Allen, the environmental archaeologist who lives locally, led one excavation there in the 1990s.
Yes, I don't know what examinations Ixer - Bevins might be permitted to make of them with the agreement of their custodian David Dawson at Wiltshire Museum, Devizes. At least microscopic I suppose?
As I was looking into the later Post about Winterbourne Bassett and any non - sarsen stones possibly thereabouts, I have come across this in Pollard & Reynolds' 2003 book on the Avebury area's landscape.
R Holgate sees "the ' natural' focus for early Neolithic settlement being on the upper slopes of the downs, often on clay - with - flints deposits.
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