tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228690739485734684.post2991334693630849155..comments2024-03-28T22:13:17.139+00:00Comments on Stonehenge and the Ice Age: Periglacial effects on Salisbury PlainBRIAN JOHNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00413447032454568083noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228690739485734684.post-30589751652240460202010-12-16T21:19:12.792+00:002010-12-16T21:19:12.792+00:00Ah!! you need an Archaeologist.
The Heelstone is ...Ah!! you need an Archaeologist.<br /><br />The Heelstone is probably not natural as a segment from the stone to the South East to the Avenue Ditch was cut in 1953 known as C36.<br /><br />The two most interesting aspects are that excavation is that the heelstone has packing of flints to the excavated Heelstone edge - which indicates a hole was dug and then backfilled.<br /><br />The other feature of interest is the 10m moat/ditch that is 0.5m wide and 1m deep surrounds it - This is a similar construction to the two Station Stones on the Aubery circle ring, with the same moats. <br /><br />This would indicate that these three stones and moats were added after the bluestone/aubrey circle was abandoned.<br /><br />The Avenue - as it does not line up with the Heelstone or its moat is even later addition - which would indicate the 'stripes' had no influence in Stonehenge's construction. <br /><br />Hope that helps!<br /><br />RJLRobert Langdonhttp://www.prehistoric-britain.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228690739485734684.post-65400319133218769312010-12-15T08:56:07.384+00:002010-12-15T08:56:07.384+00:00Kostas, you make me sound like some power-crazed e...Kostas, you make me sound like some power-crazed evil manipulator of men's minds......... but I'll let that pass, and hope that most readers think my attempts to keep the discussions within reasonable bounds are OK.<br /><br />Men's minds ..... hmmm. That is interesting. Nearly all those who contribute their thoughts on this blog are men. I wonder why?BRIAN JOHNhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00413447032454568083noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228690739485734684.post-1230270485954213022010-12-15T03:02:15.832+00:002010-12-15T03:02:15.832+00:00Tony,
In some sections of my paper “The un-Hengin...Tony,<br /><br />In some sections of my paper “The un-Henging of Stonehenge” I propose explanations for The Heelstone and for the orientation of The Avenue consistent with the facts as you describe in your comment above. <br /><br />Interestingly, the same theory can also explain the natural ridges and gulleys at the center of The Avenue. I am encouraged that such geomorphology is confirmed now to be natural, as my theory has claimed all along. Not wishing to upset Brian by going too deeply into these explanations here at his blog which he controls and sometimes blocks, let me suggest that you read these in my paper. A simple google search of the exact title will link you to it.<br /><br />KostasConstantinos Ragazashttp://knol.google.com/k/constantinos-ragazas/the-un-henging-of-stonehenge/ql47o1qdr604/16noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228690739485734684.post-27891032615510774722010-12-14T20:28:01.968+00:002010-12-14T20:28:01.968+00:00I think you'll be interested in reading about ...I think you'll be interested in reading about aforesaid Charly French on the University of Cambridge's website at:-<br /><br />www.arch.cam.ac.uk/~caif2/-<br /><br />He is Reader in Geoarchaeology at the Laboratory for Geoarchaeology.<br /><br />Mike Pitts relates in his "Hengeworld" (2000) that he excavated in the vicinity of The Heelstone in 1979, and found a huge pit indicating that the Heelstone originally had a partner.<br /><br />Anthony Johnson (in "Solving Stonehenge", 2008,pages 120-1, thinks "It is not impossible that....the Heelstone was set up close to the position in which it originally lay, perhaps long before any other stones were brought to Stonehenge." In 1922 Hawley found a 'crater-shaped' hole measuring 1.5m in diameter and 1.37m deep approximately 7 metres south of the heelstone, which he thought may once have held a 'large natural stone'. <br /><br />Anthony Johnson also stresses that the bulky and rounded form of the Heelstone is entirely unmanageable in comparison with the other Stonehenge sarcens, lacking the flat tabular surfaces that would have allowed it to have been readily conveyed on rollers.<br /><br />Johnson also writes about other isolated sarsen monoliths in the wider Stonehenge landscape, such as the Bulford Stone. Another, the Cuckoo Stone, has been th subject of investigation by the Stonehenge Riverside Project in recent years.Tonynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228690739485734684.post-4743474369673163772010-12-14T17:56:08.807+00:002010-12-14T17:56:08.807+00:00Thanks for that clarification, Tony. I had recall...Thanks for that clarification, Tony. I had recalled reading other bits and pieces about these grooves, but a Google search proved fruitless. I'll try to follow this up.<br /><br />Don't know Charlie French -- he's obviously one of the younger generation....!<br /><br />Sounds a bit far-fetched that Stonehenge should be located just where some natural (?) grooves happened to lie. But the story of Stonehenge is full of far-fetched ideas.<br /><br />I'm intrigued by the thought that the Heelstone might be in its naturally occurring position. Has anybody ever excavated under it, just to check?BRIAN JOHNhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00413447032454568083noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1228690739485734684.post-21041448526618022922010-12-14T17:36:48.469+00:002010-12-14T17:36:48.469+00:00For the sake of clarification, I would just point ...For the sake of clarification, I would just point out that in your first sentence, you refer to coming across "Mike PP's references to strange "grooves" or "striations" in the surface of the chalk, discovered during the Bluehenge excavations."<br /><br />These were discovered during the 2008 and 2009 excavations of The Avenue where it leaves The Heel Stone beyond Stonehenge, on the northern side of the A344, whence The Avenue heads downhill in a NE direction. Very deep natural gulleys occur in the centre of The Avenue, running the whole length down to The Avenue's "elbow", at which point it turns roughly E. (This is, of course, a long way from where The Avenue meets the river Avon, near "Bluestonehenge".<br /><br />Mike Parker Pearson has said that a pair of natural ridges occur either side of a the gulleys. He stated that a geomorphologist had confirmed these features were natural.<br /><br />The line of gulleys and ridges just happens to be on the Solstice line. Furthermore, it is possible that The Heelstone may have been in situ,recumbent,naturally.<br /><br />I believe the geomorphologist's name was Charlie French, and he was part of the Stonehenge Riverside Project's team.<br /><br />I have visited the site and MPP pointed these geomorphological features out to a group of us visitors during excavation. He has also described them at 2 lectures in Wiltshire on 11/11/08 and 10/10/09,as has his colleague Josh Pollard on a separate occasion.<br /><br />No doubt this has been written up in Mike Pitt's "British Archaeology" magazine in greater detail, but I have not been subscribing long enough to have this.<br /><br />The Stonehenge Riverside Project lead archaeologists wonder if this natural geomorphological feature (pre-dating The Avenue itself) was the prime reason that Stonehenge was built precisely where it was, i.e. with the Solstice Line leading away from the (naturally positioned?)<br /> Heel Stone in a NE direction down the slope towards Stonehenge Bottom.Tonynoreply@blogger.com