Featured Title:
Watchers of the Dawn DVD and ebook |
 |
| Roads and Trackways of North Wales |
 |
| Login |
|
Don't have an account yet? You can create one. As a registered user you have some advantages like your own home page, fewer ads, and your contributions link to your page. |
| Who's Online |
There are currently, 110 guests and 2 members online.
You are a guest. To join in, please register for free by clicking here |
| |
Forum: Stones Forum
Moderated by : Andy B , TimPrevett , coldrum , Klingon , MickM , TheCaptain , bat400 , davidmorgan , Runemage , SolarMegalith , sem
Respond to: New Concentric Stone circle discovered at Merrivale
|
| Review your Reply |
Balgorg
Joined:
27-08-2007
Messages: 7
from Tavistock
 OFF-Line
|  New Message Posted!2008-08-20 21:19
Just an update....
I visited the location of the concentric ring today with a local archeaologist. I'm not sure I convinced him or not, although he was certain that the stone row was extended a furthur 10m.
Because so many stones are buried it is very difficult to convey clearly the layout. Initially I had no idea what it was that I had measured, and it was only when I produced my plan from the measurements that it became clear that this was a buried circle.
That was what convinced me.
The plan I have finally digitised and as soon as I can work out how to post it here Ill do so. If anyone can help on that please do.
The next step is to scan the ring using geophys. Apparently Plymouth University has such a device, it would be great to put it to the test at Merrivale. I am confident that the geophys would confirm my findings.
In my first post I mentioned that the location of this ring was being damaged by a farmers landrover. Sadly the rain has softened the ground and the damage is getting considerably worse. Im not sure what I can do about it, but there is a danger that the site will be ruined. Apparently the bridge and stones lining the leat are recent additions, formerly there was a small ford. The bridge was supposed to prevent damage, but sadly it seems to have had the opposite effect.
If anyone has any ideas, or even posesses a geophys device and would like to try it out please contact me.
|
Balgorg
Joined:
27-08-2007
Messages: 7
from Tavistock
OFF-Line
| New Message Posted!2008-07-26 13:11
Some of the stones within the circle are visible, particularly the larger fallen slabs. Two are standing, albeit at odd angles. The remaining stones were, like the Yellowmead circle and Fernworthy, were smaller on one side of the ring. These are harder to locate. I used a long sturdy screwdriver to probe below the turf. The area within the ring appears to have been cleared of natural stones, so if you have got the arc correct you will find them. I used bamboo canes to mark the positions of the hidden stones, so I could visualise the layout. I ended up with blisters on my hands.
In damp weather water sometimes sits ontop of the stones. This is because they have sunken into the soft soil, and turf has grown over them. Its possible that turf cutting was the reason for the stones collapse. Turf cutting was once carried out at Merrivale, and at some places along the stone rows the top-soil is exceptionally thin. Where this new concentric is poisitioned the soil is peaty, and the stones are resting on a hard grit of eroded granite.
The new ring is eggshaped, caused by the overlapping of two circles of different diameters, then linking them together by extending the perimeter to make one continuos ring. The larger of these two rings is the exact same diameter of the nearby stone circle already well known at Merrivale 18.9m. Which is also the same diameter as the outer ring at Yellowmead. Both of these rings are known to be type B flattened circles of the same diameter, so that they can be overlapped.
Similarly the Sourton ring is eggshaped. Again caused by the overlap of two circles of different diameters. The smaller one of these component circles is 18.9m, the same diameter as the larger component ring in the Merrivale egg, and so also the same diameter of the two other rings mentioned above. The stone circle of Langstone Moor, is surprisingly visible from Merrivale and it also is about 19m in diameter, only slighter larger than the others. All these rings then are connected by the same measurement. Remarkably all these rings have things in common. They are all situated on the western lip of the moor, comanding views towards Bodmin moor. They all possess external features, such as slabs, rows or alignments.
[ This message was edited by: Balgorg on 2008-07-26 13:14 ]
[ This message was edited by: Balgorg on 2008-07-26 13:17 ]
|
TheCaptain
Joined:
30-10-2003
Messages: 1483
from near Bristol
OFF-Line
| New Message Posted!2008-07-25 00:45
I very much look forwards to seeing your findings, and having a look for myself when next down there. Thanks for sharing this with us Sam.
|
Balgorg
Joined:
27-08-2007
Messages: 7
from Tavistock
OFF-Line
| New Message Posted!2008-07-24 22:15
The very first place I ever visited on Dartmoor was Merrivale, and I was blown away by the place, as this was also the first time I had ever encountered stone rows. Years later I moved to live near Dartmoor in Tavistock, and began to research the stone rows and circles. I began to make my own plans of the sites I encountered and made some interesting findings. For example the remains of entrances within many of the early circles, such as Scorehill, Sourton, Brisworthy and Sherberton. I then encountered the book 'From Carnac to Callanish' by Aubrey Burl, who suggested that the stone avenues and rows had originally developed from stone circles that possessed entrances. As so many of the Dartmoor rows possess tall paired stones at their upper terminals (next to or joined to a cairn circle) it seems that Burl was correct. However he was unawair that the larger circles on Dartmoor posessed entrances. I recently discovered the remains of a formidable entrance at the Sourton circle, combined with a cove like structure, a recumbent stone, and two flat slabs, all in line with one and other. A stone row in 'embryo' is how I regard it.
Now more recently I began some research at Merrivale, specifically to look at the spacing between stones in one of the rows. What happened however was that I got a bit sidelined by a new discovery.
At Merrivale are a number of well preserved stone rows. The two most impressive of these stand side by side on an east-west axis. The southernmost of these is the most impressive. It has at its centre a cairn, and at both of its ends larger stones. At the west end of this double row are the two well known pillars, forming the terminal of the row. What I noticed is that, infact the row continues a further ten metres, beyond these two pillars. Its totally itact, although some of the stones are just below the turf. Where this ten metre extension apears to end there was a large pile of stones, again slightly sunk into the turf. Clearly the remains of an elaborate blocking stone or similar feature.
Next however I noticed an arc of stones running away from me, so I measured their positions and made a plan. I then returned to the site and probed for fallen stones with a spike. Just below the turf is a completely intact (although fallen) stone circle, which would have resembled the outer ring of Yellowmead down, with quite large stones graded into smaller on the oposite side of the ring.
Inserted within this egg shaped circle is another smaller circle of fallen stones. You have to probe to find them. I have produced a plan of the position of 'every single' stone that is found behind the ten metre extension of row. It even possesses a fallen centre stone.
And there is absolutely no doubt whatsoever that this is a new concentric stone circle, and one of the most intact on the moor. All of its stones are fallen, and partially or completely hidden, so it has escaped the restorer and the stone cutter.
Now what is of huge importance is that this is the only Stone circle on Dartoor to be properly attatched to a long stone row, it isnt a cairn circle as its far to large for that, 20 by 30 m. Where the row met the circle is the fallen assemblage of stones which may have formed a cove like structure, nearly identical to that at Sourton.
So was Burl right? You bet he was, the stone rows and avenues on Dartmoor did evolve from the entrances to stone circles, and finally here is a stone circle to prove it.
I have sent all of my findings to the National Park Authority, hopefully they will agree with me.
As soon as i can get my scanner working I will post the plan showing the position of all the stones so you can see for your self.
I must also add that should readers visit the site, please do not attempt to dig any of the stones up. The site is one of the very best preserved within the south west. It has remained hidden for at least 3500 years.
The whole site is protected by law, although if you look an arial shot (google earth) you will notice that there are wheel marks all over the site, caused by a lazy farmer. Look else where on the moor and you wont see marks like it. Why on earth the National Park authoriy allows vehicular access to the site when so much damage is being done? This un-necesary acess by the farmer must be stopped immediately.
Sam Goodwin
Balgorg@googlemail.com
[ This message was edited by: Balgorg on 2008-07-24 22:15 ]
| |
|
Main News