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"For various reason a lot of the European stuff has been ignored."

what are those reasons? - do you mean in the books - or by the relevant archaeolgists?

>> what are those reasons? - do you mean in the books - or by the relevant archaeolgists?

Both to an extent, depending where you are talking about. In Germany for instance the stones are only just becoming an acceptable subject. There was (is in places) still a Nazi association with them. The Dutch Hunnebeden-type monuments of Drenthe actually spread over the German border, but you never read of them for instance. There are a load of tombs and stones in Hesse too. Places like Caucasia people just haven't bothered until recently. I remember Annexus saying that in parts of Spain and Portugal he just had to go around asking shepherds if they knew of any monuments locally, because no one had really bothered looking there before. The Austrian monuments have been recorded, but not greatly publicised outside of Austria. The list goes on and on.

It's mainly cultural bias, established early on when amateurs were publicising what they thought were the most notable contributions of different past cultures. There are fascinating megalithic structures in Italy (see the Stone Pages on Sardinia and Puglia) but the place is just so chock full of Roman and Renaissance remains that obviously had a great influence on subsequent history the stones were ignored. In France the great cathedrals were easy to study and admire. Great Britain, which you have to admit was a bit of a backwater--at least as far as influencing European history before, say, Elizabeth and the Armada--didn't have this kind of "glorious" DEEP past, but it had Stonehenge, unique in Europe.

Once these biases get established, the limited money available for historians and archaeologists follows the already beaten paths. Students argue with or idolize professors, perpetuating their interests. Committees don't like hearing about anything radically different: they don't know how to evaluate it. It's then up to the new amateurs, such as you folks, to collect enough basic information about, and demonstrate enough interest in, new stuff to convince professionals there's a market for their books and lectures, potential students for the mavericks among them, etc.

It's not a great system, but its inherent conservatism fosters depth of interest. Given limited funds, that may be more productive than shallow surveys of everything. Particular expertise can be judiciously applied to new situations, but attempting to collect information about everything all at once will never result in the depth of knowledge we now have, or are getting, about a few places.

Just my take on it all.

It varies in Europe. Sweden and other Scancniavian countries care for their ancient sites very well. Guiding and signage is excellent. In France it varies and when the Portal's guy did his 6 months tour, he really had to do pionering work to find them. He is still working through 6,000 photos!
Germany and Holland are good and we are getting cracking material from all over.

We know that there is much in Spain and so many other places. The task is enormous and what I have learned is that there was something like a pan-megalithic culture from Britain and Scandinavia right across northern Europe into Russia, Mongolia and beyond. Similarly, megaliths sweep down through France into Iberia and many Mediterranean islands. We are just beginning to locate them. Go to the Portal and look at the Megalithic Map for parts of Europe - it is thick with sites and we have only just started.

well that IS good news! - although not form the point of conservation I suppose..Thanks