Re: Standing on stones | Forum — The Modern Antiquarian

Littlestone Aug 18, 2006 17:30:42

Replying to Shelby Mustang

Hi Shelby

Nice to get a view from the other side of the fence, and I couldn't agree with you more about the guy who told you to get your kids off the Devil's Chair (there's a time and a place for everything, and if he was telling you just to impress his girlfriend, and make you look small in front of your family, that's really not on). Thing is, there are now signs on all of the gates into the Avebury circle asking people not to climb on the stones - and they are there for a reason. One little butt on a stone, or one pair of shoes climbing over it doesn't sound much, but when you multiply that by the thousands of visitors to Avebury each year you do, actually, have a problem.

There's a beautiful 8th century little meditation hall in Nara, Japan called The Hall of Dreams. It's an octagonal wooden building where Prince Shotoku (the Japanese equivalent of Alfred the Great :-) used to meditate. I used to love going there back in the 60s but so did thousands of others. Little by little The Hall of Dreams began to fall apart under the weight of so many visitors, so in the end they put a fence around it. The stones of Avebury of course are somewhat harder than a little meditation hall made of wood but they are not indestructible.

Nothing lasts forever of course, but do we not have a responsibility to ensure that things of beauty, mystery and meaning last for as long as possible?

Best wishes.

nigelswift Aug 18, 2006 17:47:06

Replying to Littlestone

I guess we all add to erosion, even by touching the stones ,but we can hardly beat ourselves or others up about it, just be a bit careful.

Here's a site report from, mainly, the Whispering Knights, on a single day in 1999. Scary to think this sort of thing accumulates month after month -

Fire: Yes - a ring of scorched grass left by druids banking the fire dish too high, having it burning for too long and not using any insulation in the bottom to prevent too much heat getting through.
Damaged Lichen: Yes
Chipped bits: Yes - no fewer than 11 new chips at the Whispering Knights, one of which appeared to have been hacked off with a bladed instrument, to add to the three new chips I found at the King's Men the previous week
Objects: Yes - coins, small stones, plant matter wedged into the stones
Flowers: Yes - local buttercups
Disturbed soil: Yes
Picnic remains: Yes
Cigarette ends: Yes
Other marks: Yes - runes and lines scored into the surface of the rock and the lichen, notably the capstone, at the Whispering Knights
Ritual remains: Yes. Freshly spilled blood (not more than a couple of hours old) on the Sunday morning, next to a blood soaked thing made of thistle.
Action taken: Tidied up, commiserated and sympathised

Shelby Mustang Aug 18, 2006 18:11:49

Replying to Littlestone

the notices have been more than appreciated LS, and i was only there a fortnight ago and the vibes were back. my little girl put Dandelions in all the available dinks and holes. we ate a large lunch in the pub and left the place laughing.