Roman clues found at ancient hill
Archaeologists have found traces of a Roman settlement at a 5,000-year-old landmark man-made hill in Wiltshire.
English Heritage believes there was a Roman community at Silbury Hill about 2,000 years ago.
The 130ft Neolithic mound near Avebury - one of Europe's largest prehistoric monuments - is thought to have been created some 3,000 years earlier.
Experts carrying out a project to stabilise the hill say the site may have been a sacred place of pilgrimage.
Human activity
English Heritage geophysicist Dr Neil Linford said: "We are really excited by this discovery because we had no idea that a Roman village of such a size lay this close to Silbury Hill."
The evidence suggests the Roman community was based on an area the size of 24 football pitches at the base of the hill.
The find was made using caesium magnetometers which can detect changes in the ground's magnetic field caused by human activity.
The settlement was on the road from London to Bath, which is the modern-day A4, where it crossed the Winterbourne river.
Stopover?
English Heritage regional director Dr Bob Bewley says it will be "exciting" to try to find out more about the Roman presence.
"Without further investigation it is difficult to say, but it could be that what we have here is something like a roadside village, where Roman travellers would have changed horses and stayed overnight on the way to Bath, but also a place of pilgrimage focused on the hill," he said.
Mystery surrounds why the hill, where stabilisation work will take place from May to September, was built in the first place.
Heavy rains in May 2000 caused substantial damage to the hill, with the collapse of an 18th century shaft.
From the BBC website >>
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Ancient lovers are unearthed in Italy
ROME - It could be humanity's oldest story of doomed love. Archaeologists have unearthed two skeletons from the Neolithic period locked in a tender embrace and buried outside Mantua, just 25 miles south of Verona, the romantic city where Shakespeare set the star-crossed tale of "Romeo and Juliet."
Buried between 5,000 and 6,000 years ago, the prehistoric pair are believed to have been a man and a woman and are thought to have died young, as their teeth were found intact, said Elena Menotti, the archaeologist who led the dig.
"As far as we know, it's unique," Menotti told The Associated Press by telephone from Milan. "Double burials from the Neolithic are unheard of, and these are even hugging."
The burial site was located Monday during construction work for a factory building in the outskirts of Mantua. Alongside the couple, archaeologists found flint tools, including arrowheads and a knife, Menotti said.
Experts will now study the artifacts and the skeletons to determine the burial site's age and how old the two were when they died, she said.
Luca Bondioli, an anthropologist at Rome's National Prehistoric and Ethnographic Museum, said double prehistoric burials are rare — especially in such a pose — but some have been found holding hands or having other contact.
The find has "more of an emotional than a scientific value." But it does highlight how the relationship people have with each other and with death has not changed much from the period in which humanity first settled in villages and learning to farm and tame animals, he said.
"The Neolithic is a very formative period for our society," he said. "It was when the roots of our religious sentiment were formed."
The two bodies, which cuddle closely while facing each other on their sides, were probably buried at the same time, possibly an indication of sudden and tragic death, Bondioli said.
"It's rare for two young people to die at the same time, and that makes us want to know why and who they were, but it will be very difficult to find out."
He said DNA testing could determine whether the two were related, "but that still leaves other hypotheses; the 'Romeo and Juliet' possibility is just one of many."
Full story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070207/ap_on_sc/italy_prehistoric_love_7;_ylt=AtzuwCQvG_OH.iwT.ih6MTIiANEA
and more at: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070208/ap_on_sc/italy_prehistoric_love;_ylt=Agb1NwCd0bnoMrKkLO67grRxieAA
(both include slideshow and video links!)
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Stonehenge builders' houses found
Archaeologists say they have found a huge ancient settlement used by the people who built Stonehenge.
Excavations at Durrington Walls, near the legendary Salisbury Plain monument, uncovered remains of ancient houses.
People seem to have occupied the sites seasonally, using them for ritual feasting and funeral ceremonies.
In ancient times, this settlement would have housed hundreds of people, making it the largest Neolithic village ever found in Britain.
The dwellings date back to 2,600-2,500 BC, the same period that Stonehenge was built.
"In what were houses, we have excavated the outlines on the floors of box beds and wooden dressers or cupboards," said archaeologist Mike Parker Pearson of Sheffield University.
He said he based this on the fact that houses have exactly the same layout as Neolithic houses at Skara Brae in Orkney, which have survived intact because - unlike these dwellings - they were made of stone.
The researchers have excavated eight dwellings in total that belonged to the Durrington settlement. But they have identified many other probable dwellings using geophysical surveying equipment.
The archaeologists think there could have been at least one hundred houses.
Each one would have measured about 5m (16ft) square: "fairly pokey", according to Professor Parker Pearson.
Full story >
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Mrs Goffik and I were extremely lucky to have seein this on the last day of our trip in September.
It's a cracking example of a quoit - the arrow-shaped capstone (which needs no introduction as it's well documented) is HUGE!!! I know our ancestors were nifty with the old stone erection, but still... HOW???!?!
This place feels quite isolated, in a nice way. It's difficult to see from below as it was covered in ferns and brambles when we visited (no crops, luckily for us!) but it commands some nice views.
And has anyone else noticed how it appears to point towards a gap in the distant hills that reveals the sea? Or is it just me? See http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/post/54132
After looking at the map, I'm now curious to explore what is marked, between the quoit and Men Gurta, as "Pawton Springs". :o)
Access: From Wadebridge, follow the A39 South past the Cornwall showground, and take the left turn at Whitecross - signposted, as I recall, to Pawton and Nanscow(e). Follow the road for just under a mile and bear left at the junction. Take the next right (this heads toward the wind farm). The quoit is in, I think, the 3rd field on the right at the top end. There are several gates in the hedge along the road which are traversable. Parking is difficult, but once in the field, the going is quite easy.
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I came across this site in the book "Lewis and Harris - History and Pre-History" by Francis Thompson.
Mrs Goffik and I followed the all-too-vague directions down to the coastline, along a narrow track from the A859, towards Glen Kyles and Rubha Charnain (which isn't signposted, if I remember rightly).
After investigating just about every rock along the small headland, we turned our focus beyond the house at the end of the small road. Navigating along the water's edge, we hopped up onto the grass beyond the fence surrounding the house, and continued straight on (I presume the unfenced area isn't private, anyway!). There is what appears to be an old wall pointing out toward the sea, and just to the left of that is a slope down to the black rocks. The unmistakeable cup-marks are pretty much all around you as you head to the farthest point!
And there's dozens of them! Ranging from coin-sized all the way up to dinner-plate-sized!
Apparently the larger ones may be more modern, although how this is known, I have no idea. They were used by fishermen for holding bait within living memory, but as far as I'm aware, it's nigh on impossible to date rock art... So maybe they were created thousands of years ago and used for that purpose because they were convenient!
The views are spectacular, across the Sound of Harris to the rocky islands of Saghaigh Mor and Saghaigh Beag with Easaigh beyond... Watching the Calmac Ferry come in from Berneray to Leverburgh...
Rock art is apparently very rare in the Outer Hebrides, which makes this place all the more unusual and worth the visit.
Access: Head North on the A859 from Leverburgh, and just after the village, turn left onto a single-track road. The road meanders gently past a couple of houses until a tight(ish) bend (you can probably park here quite safely - we did!) by a small, pebbly beach. The road continues past the bend and terminates at a private house. Follow the coastline to beyond the house and walk along the grass until you reach the slope down to the rocks. Head toward the farthest point and you will see cup-marks all around you!
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I've been here a few times recently, and it appears the bracken has been cut back!
I picked my way to the top of this low mound, and saw what I presumed to be just the tip of the rocky outcrop that I assumed the Puckstone to be. Maybe that was the alleged standing stone?
I was walking along near the Agglestone last weekend, and could see the Puckstone silhouetted against the sky - it looked a LOT more prominent than my previous visit... I'll see if any of my pics show this in any detail.
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Iron Age shoe unearthed at quarry
A shoe believed to be 2,000 years old has been dug up at a Somerset quarry.
The Iron Age relic was found in a hollowed tree trunk set into the ground at Whiteball Quarry, near Wellington.
Archaeologists say the shoe is the equivalent of a size 10 and is so well-preserved that stitches and lace holes are still visible in the leather.
The shoe has been taken to a specialist conservation centre in Wiltshire, and is expected to go on display at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter.
A team from Exeter Archaeology, led by Stephen Reed, unearthed the shoe when they were excavating at Town Farm, Burlescombe.
"What we have now found is a Bronze Age 'industrial' site consisting of two mounds of burnt stone - dated to 1460 to 1290 BC - and two water-filled troughs," he said.
"Close by were two timber-built wells, preserved by waterlogging and probably dating from the early part of the Iron Age."
One of the wells was constructed over a spring using a hollowed tree trunk set into the ground. The tree trunk was removed from the site so that its contents could be examined under laboratory conditions.
'Oldest shoe'
The "truly remarkable" discovery of the shoe was made when this was being undertaken by the Wiltshire Conservation Centre.
"As far as we know, this is the oldest shoe ever found in the UK," Mr Reed said.
"The shoe measures approximately 30cm, equivalent to a modern size nine or 10, perhaps suggesting its owner was male.
"The reason for its presence in the well or spring is a mystery."
It is hoped examination of the shoe will shed light on the method of its construction and identify the animal from which the leather was derived.
Quarry owners Hanson are working with archaeologists from Exeter Archaeology, Devon County Council and English Heritage, as well as other specialists, to ensure that all the finds from the site are properly recorded and treated.
It is hoped, following conservation, that the timbers and shoe will form the central feature of the proposed expansion of the archaeology galleries at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/4530905.stm
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We popped by this lovely cairn on our way to and from the Nine Stones of Altarnun a couple of days ago...
We had to take a different route from the recommended start point of Tolcarne Farm, cos there was a dead sheep with it's insides spilling out blocking the gate. Moving the gate would have been a bit gruesome, so we shied away and drove round to what is possibly Treburland...
Bit of a longer walk, but very pleasant... Walked to the end of the track to what was once a gate (destroyed by a careless farmer, apparently!), left down the path that doubled as a delightful stream, then up, up and more up... It's all signposted as footpath until you reach the woods. Then up, up and up again alongside the woods. Keep going and you will pretty much fall into the cairn, as far as I can remember!
Ver' nice it is too. Lovely windblown tree as a marker, some smaller stones (and an empty cider can which I removed) inside it - it makes a great wind-break! There is a wall that runs up to and beyond the cairn that made me think of a stone row... Wonder if it ever was? I know there are boundary stones aplenty in the area, but they were elsewhere...
You can see the Nine Stones of Alternun from here, too, which is handy if you're lost!
Very windy and boggy, but pleasantly remote...
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Hope nobody minds me adding this bit of miscellany - NOT as old as we like here, (so delete at will!) but possibly of interest to someone else besides me!
http://www.chittick.com/history/places_geography/chideock.html
"To the east end of the village on the North side of the main road is Ruins Lane, a short track which leads you up to ruins field, where you will see the site of Chideock castle. All that remains now is the moat and a large cross, erected in memory of the Chideock Martyrs. The castle was built in 1380 by John de Chideocke."
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We visited this area yesterday for the first time, and what a beautiful, crisp, sunny day it was too!
Didn't check this page first, so trusted the directions in the big papery version and got a bit lost! Headed, as suggested, along the A35 between Bridport and Lyme Regis, but as Rhiannon says - no signpost was forthcoming... Eventually, I gave in and checked my seriously-lacking-in-detail road map, and, lo! Golden Cap was marked on it! Just next to Chideock...
So we drove back till we got to Chideock, and took a chance turning toward Seatown, where we then saw a sign for the Golden Cap Holiday Park - hurrah! At the end of said road is a car park just opposite the pub with voluntary £1 all day parking. Footpaths are marked from there (although currently diverted due to erosion).
We took the opposite path, heading toward Bridport, taking in the highest cliff on the South coast from Thorncombe Beacon - a fantastic vantage point! And a large tumulus right next to it as a bonus for the steep, hilly walk. Some lovely hills/hillforts to be seen from there.
The cliff garden at the Anchor Inn is a fantastic place to watch the sun go down with a rewarding pint of ale...
Getting back out onto the A35 was a bastard tho!
Access: This one's for the *relatively* fit (or the determined!) Sometimes steep, frequently slippery. Cows.
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We stayed at the marvellous Clansman Hotel on the banks of Loch Ness. Continuing up the road toward Inverness, we noticed a settlement marked on the map, so took a diversion.
On the A82 from Fort William toward Inverness, just under 2 miles after the Clansman Hotel is a left turn to Abriachan. (You need to go right first, onto a funny little turning bit, cos the corner is so tight!). Continue up the steep, wniding road for about 2 miles, and you will find the small parking area with noticeboard. To your right is the remains of the prehistoric village.
It's in a beautiful location, but to be honest, at the time of year we were there (early September) there wasn't a lot to see! A few stones, presumably from the huts, were poking out from the heather here and there, and you could *just* make out a few circular outlines... A very peaceful place. Boggy. Unspoilt. Worth a look if you're in the area, but not really worth going out of your way for! Might be better at other times in the year when the heather's lower..!
The best bit was the view, continuing along the road to get back on the A82! Didn't realise how high we were!
Access: Parking by the information board, the site is across the very quiet road, through a gate. Paths had been cut into the grass, which were surrounded by low lying heather.
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We liked it here, the missus and me...
Hob brought us up here one sunny(ish) afternoon. Last Friday in fact! Seems like ages ago!
A short walk through the golfcourse in Wooler stand several of these magnificent stones, carved with magical motifs. This particular one being within the ramparts of the hillfort.
Dripping water into the shapes and letting it run naturally into the grooves (giving it a gentle rub to spread it to the edges) really highlights the shapes.
The sun came out at just the right moment to take a few pics of the "ring of fire"... the water looked like molten metal for a couple fo minutes - fab!
We were happy here... I forgot for a while that I was on a golf course - wonder how many of these golfers know what they're walking among? Better than whacking a ball with a stick, I reckon!
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Wow. What an amazing place this island is! Very barren... very windy!
Walking down the "main road" (said with a wry smile!) from the lighthouse to the bird observatory, we came across this tall fellow...
In a field near the observatory, unmissable due to the lack of much else! There is an electric fence around the drystone wall here, which suggests the owner would rather people didn't go into the field... I'm sure it's passable, but out of politeness, and respect for the cows, we stayed outside the perimeter.
But it's a bit of a beauty! Very tall, broad yet somehow slender, with a wee hole in it about three-quarters of the way up.
I've heard that the stone is still in use today - at New Year, the islanders gather round it and sing songs! Fantastic!
According to Orkneyjar (http://www.orkneyjar.com/history/monoliths/stanstane.htm) it could well be an outlier to a long-gone stone circle... It's certainly in a good location, and I was surprised there weren't more standing stones on the island...
Dress for rain! And wind!
Access: From the airport, turn right at the war memorial, and follow the main road from the airport to the bird observatory. The stone is unmissable in a walled field on your right. Just past the walled field is an open field. Half way along the wall is a style.
N.B. The wall and style are surrounded by a low voltage electric fence, which I am led to believe means the landowner would prefer you not to enter the field. Which stands to reason. Use your discretion.
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Sistine Chapel of the Ice Age
An English cave has been described as the "Sistine Chapel of the Ice Age" after the discovery of 80 engraved figures in its limestone ceiling.
The discovery at Creswell Crags was announced on Tuesday.
It comes a year after the initial discovery of 12 engraved figures, which were trumpeted as the earliest examples of prehistoric cave art in Britain.
The new discoveries were made possible by the good natural light in April and June, rock art experts said.
Creswell Crags - a Site of Special Scientific Interest - lies on the border of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. It comprises a gorge and many caves.
The latest artwork, dated to be about 13,000 years old, was found in an opening in the rock known as Church Hole, in Nottinghamshire.
Scientist Dr Sergio Ripoll, from Spain's Open University, said: "'The good natural light both in April and June of this year, and the realisation that the Ice Age artists who were visiting Church Hole were actually modifying the natural shapes in the limestone, has enabled us to see many new animal figures."
The figures include representations of bison, deer, bears, plus two or three species of bird; including one unusual bird head with a long, curved bill.
British rock art expert Dr Paul Bahn said: "The sunny mornings especially provided an opportunity to see the cave illuminated by a brilliant reflected light, presumably how our Ice Age ancestors meant for the art to be experienced."
Dr Nigel Mills, manager of the Creswell Heritage Trust, said the discoveries were "absolutely fantastic news".
"Church Hole cave is really the Sistine Chapel of the Ice Age," he said.
Although older cave art in France and Spain is regarded as more sophisticated, the Creswell images are deemed to be significant because of their northerly position.
They are the only examples of Palaeolithic cave art in the UK, and the artists who made them would have witnessed a British landscape still being shaped by glaciers.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/3890113.stm
***Thanks to Mrs Goffik for this link!***
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Visited the fogou 9th June 2004.
(rewritten 23/06/04 cos I was half asleep first time!)
What a lovely place!
I was a bit nervous of this place after all I'd read about the odd happenings here, but found it to be a very peaceful place. We'd meant to visit many times but ALWAYS forgot to call ahead or bring the phone number with us (had to call Moth for it this time!)
The setting is very beautiful - I found it strange to think there was a house close by cos it just felt so secluded!
I find fogous odd anyway (I'm sure I'm not alone here!) - I start off full of beans, happily exploring and snapping away with the camera (normally just so I can see where I'm going! The torch normally gets swallowed up into the darkness...) and feeling like this is just a man-made hole in the ground... Then, unexpectedly, I get a shiver, and have felt quite scared (at Halligye I fair shat meself after about half an hour of feeling fine!)
So what is it with fogous? Boleigh is very beautiful, and very peaceful, as mentioned above, and is not exactly in the middle of nowhere...
I loved it here - it felt like I was in a time machine... I thought I was there for about 10 minutes, but emerged from the hole in the ground over an hour later!
Rob and (I'm so sorry I didn't catch your name!) his wife/partner (sorry again!) were absolutely lovely. Very welcoming indeed. The house itself is amazing, and some rooms are being let for a really relaxing B&B style holiday, along with a HUGE cottage that sleeps around 6!!! (Check out http://www.rosemerrynwood.co.uk/ for more info)
We shall definately return to Boleigh - not just for the fogou, but to spend the week (or 2) - maybe I'll even pluck up the courage to explore the fogou at night - wooo! Big chicken... ;o)
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I'd been to Madron before, and was aware that the well itself was away from the wishing well and chapel, but thought the only way to get to it was wearing waders!
On my last visit, however, I was impelled to try one of the many gaps in the trees on by the path, and try to find this path I'd heard of - found it! The path is a nuber of small logs - well, branches - laid out across the mire - very slippery when I was there (May 2003) and I was glad of my sturdy walking boots! I felt like Indiana Jones, leaping across huge puddles, swinging on overhanging branches (just like he did in that film, oh, Indiana Jones & the Fat Bastard, I think it was - not one of his best...)
After what seemed like ages, I came to the end of the path, and discovered some old clouties hanging above what looked like a pond - the well! Some stones were visible, but due to the amount of water, it was suitably submerged.
I felt I was in the middle of nowhere - it was so quiet. Gorgeous. Must pop back during drier weather...
G
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Likes: Massive stones.
Dislikes: Noisome trolls.
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