On 2012-09-21 16:30, jonm wrote:
Hi Rune: Just an update

There's four sets of experiments (tasks is probably a better word) in all. Every single barrow on my trail, with no exceptions, appears to be situated correctly for the tasks. It's all rather mundane though, compared to the ideas of burial, rites and astronomy.

However, they're not all in the locations shown on the OS map. Some might be newly discovered: Because I'm going to specific locations, rather than looking for barrows, when I turn up at a required location, the barrow exists where's it's 'supposed' to even if it's not on the OS map; a few might be badly located on the OS? (advantage of GPS).

A few of them appear to be very badly described and those in locations where I don't need them (but which are shown on the OS map) either do not appear to exist or perhaps have been destroyed.

Not sure what to do with all this at the moment. I don't think I can do a post with all 20 monuments showing how they fit together and which barrows don't really exist and which ones do but are not located properly. It may take some time to catalogue all this: What do you do about barrows which don't seem to exist?

The one I 'discovered' a few days back seems to be very well known (it's a special place regardless of whether or not it's neolithic): Local walkers told me about where to find it (though maybe only the locals know about it.. it doesn't seem to be recorded in the archaeological notes).

They also told me about the old name associations of the area: Which all appear to describe exactly what the whole shebang is for. I can't help feeling that this is already well known, just that nobody's bothered to write it down.

On 2012-09-21 17:59, jonm wrote:
Hi George

What's local HER?

On 2012-09-21 16:30, jonm wrote:
Hi Rune: Just an update

There's four sets of experiments (tasks is probably a better word) in all. Every single barrow on my trail, with no exceptions, appears to be situated correctly for the tasks. It's all rather mundane though, compared to the ideas of burial, rites and astronomy.

However, they're not all in the locations shown on the OS map. Some might be newly discovered: Because I'm going to specific locations, rather than looking for barrows, when I turn up at a required location, the barrow exists where's it's 'supposed' to even if it's not on the OS map; a few might be badly located on the OS? (advantage of GPS).

A few of them appear to be very badly described and those in locations where I don't need them (but which are shown on the OS map) either do not appear to exist or perhaps have been destroyed.

Not sure what to do with all this at the moment. I don't think I can do a post with all 20 monuments showing how they fit together and which barrows don't really exist and which ones do but are not located properly. It may take some time to catalogue all this: What do you do about barrows which don't seem to exist?

The one I 'discovered' a few days back seems to be very well known (it's a special place regardless of whether or not it's neolithic): Local walkers told me about where to find it (though maybe only the locals know about it.. it doesn't seem to be recorded in the archaeological notes).

They also told me about the old name associations of the area: Which all appear to describe exactly what the whole shebang is for. I can't help feeling that this is already well known, just that nobody's bothered to write it down.

On 2012-09-20 14:47, Feanor wrote:

Quote:

On 2012-09-20 13:04, Runemage wrote: Has the area of that mound been excavated? If so, many mounds had a different floor-level material brought in from elsewhere, perhaps that's recorded in dig reports? Rune

Rune,
Referring to the diagram shown, an inclusive rectangular area around Stones 54 & 53 (the South Trilithon) was excavated in 1964 when they righted those Stones.

A small rectangle just inside Stones 10 & 9-A was dug by Darvill & Wainwright in 2008 in their attempt to date the Bluestone installation.

The area around 52 & 51 has never been excavated, making the East Trilithon the only one of the 5 still in its original state.

A large, long, curving box-trench along that stretch of the outer Bluestone circle was dug by Atkinson in either 1953 or 58. (I can't remember which off the top of my head) This is how they discovered that the 'Missing Bluestones' of that area were actually still there, but had been broken off or melted below the surface.

Found in the upper layers is the usual detritus of visiting Humans from the Romans of the 1st Century (coins and buckles), to the Hippies of the 20th. (many beer can flip-tops and even a marijuana pipe) Curiously, it's the 19th Century Victorians who left the biggest mess of broken bottles and other picnic items.

Below this is what is known as the Stonehenge Layer, where an inordinate number of Bluestone Chips are found, whereas relatively few Sarsen remnants are detected.
This indicates that the Bluestones, ever shifted within the Circle, were reworked in situ as they were moved around to other purpose. The Sarsens, worked across the A-344, were lifted into position finished, and were only partially 'polished' on the outside afterward. They have stood unchanged since that time, other than being beaten with hammers for souvenirs or ceaselessly carved with graffiti.

Below this layer is the chalk underbed, where the bewildering array of the various Bluestone Holes are found.
Although Julian Richards and his teams found over 102-thousand worked flints and many pottery shards in the wide vicinity around the Monument in 1979 & '80, there are very few within the Circle or the Henge itself.

So then, the interior of Stonehenge is not thought to have had a 'Paved Floor', though this is found to be somewhat common in many other areas - including the upper portion of the Durrington Avenue.

This lends me to think that this mysterious Mound is a natural feature of the gentle slope, and not 'overthrow' from setting the Stones, though it's a relatively recent discovery and not examined strictly for itself.
I hope this is helpful.

Neil

[ This message was edited by: Feanor on 2012-09-20 15:40 ]