Climbing on Standing Stones

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jonnyj J
jonnyj Feb 18, 2012 05:16:36
Replying to tjj

tjj wrote:
jonnyj wrote:
tjj wrote:
More disconcerting perhaps was when I was with some people who were visiting the Avebury area and two of them climbed on top of the Devil's Den dolmen (albeit a reconstruction) - I freely admit I didn't say anything to them but was taken aback when they did it. For me it is an issue of respect as its unlikely that standing on a sarsen stone would damage it.
I think i know who you're referring to tjj, didn't they discover what is probably only the second example of rock art in Wiltshire in doing so?,
two very probable cup marks previously unrecorded. :)
Were they cup marks though, I'm no expert but I understood that rock art and sarsens don't generally go together. I've just had a look at a photograph Scubi took a while back looking down on the capstone and the markings look natural to me.
http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/25/devils_den.html
I suppose the question is 'does the means justify the end'. In the great scheme of things no damage was done. It sounds like you might know me so you will also know I'm not the sort of person to start laying down the law to others - even if I don't agree with their actions. Had I thought damage was being done I am certain I would have spoken up - as I'm sure you would have done too.
Diplomatic as always. :)

700m North-ish lays the cup marked stone tjj, formerly the only known (though disputed by some) example of rock art in hundreds of square miles, with experience you learn to search out any significant other local and obvious features to explore for further examples.
I'm sure you've seen none of said above people show anything but complete respect for the Avebury area stones on any other occasion, and indeed champion their preservation.


In general i agree with you, but also it depends why you're climbing on the stones, and who is.
I understand that day, from what i've read, you had with you what could be classed as the 3 foremost experts on rock art in their respective areas. ?

Inquisitive jovial sorts who's laugh in the face of conventionality. :)

x...peace...x

N nigelswift
nigelswift Feb 18, 2012 11:28:53
Replying to jonnyj

jonnyj wrote:
In general i agree with you, but also it depends why you're climbing on the stones, and who is.
I understand that day, from what i've read, you had with you what could be classed as the 3 foremost experts on rock art in their respective areas. ?

Inquisitive jovial sorts who's laugh in the face of conventionality.

It seems that is suggesting it's OK to climb on the stones if you're an expert in rock art elsewhere and/or a jovial sort who laughs in the face of conventionality.

I disagree about the "unconventional and jovial" justification, it just means people that don't care what others think. As for the expert bit, have these marks been accepted as man-made by anyone other than this group? Maybe they got it wrong, and they're natural? One of them said - "the majority of Wessex archaeologists are academically illiterate when it comes to identifying such carvings". Sounds like "Wessex archaeos don't agree they are man-made" to me!

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:oHXiJp9bLF8J:megalithix.wordpress.com/category/england/wiltshire/page/2/+%22devil%27s+den%22+%22cup+marks%22&cd=22&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk