Thursday, September 11, 2008
Lottery of the stones
Listening to Radio Wales just now I am intriqued by the latest theory regarding the source of the bluestones that were used to build Stonehenge. It is now thought that they were deposited on Salisbury Plain from 15 different locations by glaciers during the last ice age.
Looking for an on-line version of the story I discovered that there is no such thing as new news. The BBC were reporting this theory in June 2006.
As many organisations struggle to cope in the face of declining lottery funds around Wales, this does raise questions once more as to why £53,000 of lottery money was put aside eight years ago to try to replicate an alleged journey in which Stonehenge's creators are thought to have transported the bluestones from Preseli 240-miles by land and sea in order to build the monument's inner circle.
Back then the BBC reported that the scheme was in trouble from the start when volunteers found they could not haul the four-tonne stone as fast along modern roads as their Celtic counterparts could over that age's much wilder landscape:
But the worst moment came when the stone was being rowed across the Bristol Channel on two replica ancient boats - and slipped into the sea. It was later retrieved by navy divers but the ambition to continue had to be abandoned when insurance cover could not be found for a repeat seaward journey.
Pembrokeshire Council was left with a £10,000 bill as a reward for sponsoring the madcap scheme whilst the County's rural development initiative, Menter Preseli forked out another £50,000.
It now transpires that it was all a fiction and that modern man was not able to duplicate the feat of our ancestors because those past builders had more common sense than to attempt anything so foolish and used the materials to hand. In retrospect those involved in sanctioning this sort of expenditure have a lot to answer for.
Looking for an on-line version of the story I discovered that there is no such thing as new news. The BBC were reporting this theory in June 2006.
As many organisations struggle to cope in the face of declining lottery funds around Wales, this does raise questions once more as to why £53,000 of lottery money was put aside eight years ago to try to replicate an alleged journey in which Stonehenge's creators are thought to have transported the bluestones from Preseli 240-miles by land and sea in order to build the monument's inner circle.
Back then the BBC reported that the scheme was in trouble from the start when volunteers found they could not haul the four-tonne stone as fast along modern roads as their Celtic counterparts could over that age's much wilder landscape:
But the worst moment came when the stone was being rowed across the Bristol Channel on two replica ancient boats - and slipped into the sea. It was later retrieved by navy divers but the ambition to continue had to be abandoned when insurance cover could not be found for a repeat seaward journey.
Pembrokeshire Council was left with a £10,000 bill as a reward for sponsoring the madcap scheme whilst the County's rural development initiative, Menter Preseli forked out another £50,000.
It now transpires that it was all a fiction and that modern man was not able to duplicate the feat of our ancestors because those past builders had more common sense than to attempt anything so foolish and used the materials to hand. In retrospect those involved in sanctioning this sort of expenditure have a lot to answer for.
Comments:
<< Home
Peter, your last paragraph is misleading and, by the nature in which it is written, portrays the Ice Age Glacier Theory as fact when actually it remains just a theory and is not proven. The bluestones may well have been transported from Preselli. Until either theory is proven beyond all reasonable doubt I for one will maintain an open mind. After all, that is what research is all about - maintaining an open mind.
# posted by 
: 12:14 PM
: 12:14 PM
We've got plenty of monolith stones here in Wales that never ever move - the President of Plaid Cymru is one!
It is most likely that these blue dolerite stones (a form of granite)from Carn Meini, Preselis were transported by Glaciation. Salisbury Plain has numerous 'erratics'.
The inner circle of stonehenge was built using preseli dolerite.
It is very much aless romantic theory than the one that mankind transported these massive stones, but it is more probable.
Looking at History man has almost always used stone to build that is relatively near to the site of building. Think of the Pyramids at Giza, the limestone quarry is quite near.
My blogsite shows a picture of myself at the preselis standing from Foel Drygarn looking out to CArn Meini (left- where the stones came from) to the distant foel cwmcerwyn, the highest point in the Preselis.
The inner circle of stonehenge was built using preseli dolerite.
It is very much aless romantic theory than the one that mankind transported these massive stones, but it is more probable.
Looking at History man has almost always used stone to build that is relatively near to the site of building. Think of the Pyramids at Giza, the limestone quarry is quite near.
My blogsite shows a picture of myself at the preselis standing from Foel Drygarn looking out to CArn Meini (left- where the stones came from) to the distant foel cwmcerwyn, the highest point in the Preselis.
It's the sort of madcap waste of time that occurs when ideas of 'national pride' start to inform pseudo-scientific historical rediscovery.
I'd say that it's reminiscent of the Nazis' attempt to re-discover their aryan roots/ark of the covenant etc, but I know what happens when the words 'Nazis' and 'welsh nats' appear in the same posting!
Post a Comment
I'd say that it's reminiscent of the Nazis' attempt to re-discover their aryan roots/ark of the covenant etc, but I know what happens when the words 'Nazis' and 'welsh nats' appear in the same posting!
# posted by : 6:12 PM
: 6:12 PM<< Home
