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Kammer K
Kammer Nov 10, 2005 22:14:15
Replying to wideford

> Another function of TMA is to put up sites for others to visit and clarify...

Yes, but the Forum is a great place to start the process off. You can invite questions before making assertions. You have to admit that, most people visiting Orkney aren't going to rush to see the Burns of Myres so that they can 'visit and clarify'. There's a lot more to be seen in your part of the world. A Forum discussion works wonders though. There are a lot of people frequenting this site that who know a lot about prehistory. It seems obvious to me that the starting point for a newly 're-discovered' site is to ask 'em what they think?

Of course, the danger is that they might not think it's prehistoric.

> ...otherwise we become simply an adjunct of the National Monument Records...

Unlike the NMRs we document our visits in a non-academic manner. That's kind of the point isn't it? Like the original antiquarians we make what we can of them, but ultimately we're looking for some sort of truth (I hope). There's no point in some poor soul travelling up to Orkney (or west Wales) to gaze at a fence post or dowse for corresponding ley lines if it was erected in 1847! We're not here to delude ourselves.

I've been threatening to post the roundabout outside Morrison's as a round barrow. Maybe I should. It's round after all! That's the clincher I think. Also, there are lots of similarly constructed round barrows in other built up areas. Why have the archaeologists been so blind! I'll be there at the weekend smoking Skunk and spinning crystals.

[Humph]

Sorry to get carried away, but I strongly believe that we need to safeguard the integrity of this site. The freedom we have to post material comes with that price tag.

K x

F fitzcoraldo
fitzcoraldo Nov 10, 2005 22:47:52
Replying to Kammer

you'r darn tootin' Mr K

"A 'No' uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a 'Yes' merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble".

M moss
moss Nov 11, 2005 10:10:28
Replying to Kammer

Hi Kammer, Also bought books whilst in Wales; and found this gem of an article in Pembrokeshire Coast National Park . Its the archaeology chapter written by W.F.Grimes, (Grimes goes with Grinsell down here in Somerset, ask Rhiannon) so will extract some relevant quotes for Pembrokeshire on stones;

"Standing stones; meini hirion; A recent systematic list, eliminating cattle-rubbing stones and the like give over 70 for Pembs., distribution mainly to the north of the county.
He lists the Parc y Meirw the alignment of 8 stones in a road bank, on this site, 140 foot long.
Pairs of stones are fairly frequent, and must have some special significance, particularly since the stones commonly conform with a regular pattern one being slight and tapering whilst the other is more massive (as at Avebury) e,g, are Cerrig Meibon Arthur(118310) , the Waun Lwyd stones (157313), Upper Lodge Stones (861142).
The dates and purposes of single standing stones are no doubt various ( I always think of them as bronze age, but their presence is often near earlier sites).
In other regions the frequent associations of standing stones with tracks suggest they are waymarkers. Others have been found to have burials at their feet, ( but which came first, the burial or the stone is never clear - was the stone put up for a special person, or was the body laid at the feet of the stone because it was an idol or cult object)..
Apparently there had been one stone excavated at (this article must have been written 30/40 years ago) at St.Nicholas, produced evidence of elaborate ritual practices.

He goes on to give other examples of impressive stones to be found, which I have'nt
time to type saying that he probably thought that standing stones went back to neolithic but marjority bronze age, some have a relationship with round barrows.
Mentions also The Flemings Way,( think The Ridgway) coming down from the Prescelli mountains to the Rivers Cleddau, the maybe trackway for the transportation of the bluestones..

Moss x