Bluestones

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The Eternal T
The Eternal May 18, 2013 23:48:49
Replying to tiompan

tiompan wrote:
Glaciation extended to within 15 miles to the west of Stonehenge , at best .
Where are the "semi dressed " stones and quarries in the Preseli area ?
Hi tiompan,

I can't remember where I saw the ready-dressed stone by the Preseli quarry, but it was in the last month probably on the internet. There were two archaeologists posing by it, with a caption stating the fact. It was recent material. If I can remember, or find the source, I will re-post and let you know. It convinced me.

As for glaciation, well, it's ok to say glaciation reached the edge of Salisbury Plain, but it also relies on the flow. i.e. the flow towards the site of Stonehenge and its environs needs to come from the Preselis. What we need to know is whether it did. I'm no expert, but have read a bit about it, and find it hard to picture a glacier flowing from the coast to inland. In other words I can't see how glaciation could have transported bluestones nearer to Stonehenge than their origin is today, if the only natural source is from the Preselis.

It's an interesting debate.

All the best,
TE.

T tiompan
tiompan May 19, 2013 10:53:10
Replying to The Eternal

The Eternal wrote:
tiompan wrote:
Glaciation extended to within 15 miles to the west of Stonehenge , at best .
Where are the "semi dressed " stones and quarries in the Preseli area ?
Hi tiompan,

I can't remember where I saw the ready-dressed stone by the Preseli quarry, but it was in the last month probably on the internet. There were two archaeologists posing by it, with a caption stating the fact. It was recent material. If I can remember, or find the source, I will re-post and let you know. It convinced me.

As for glaciation, well, it's ok to say glaciation reached the edge of Salisbury Plain, but it also relies on the flow. i.e. the flow towards the site of Stonehenge and its environs needs to come from the Preselis. What we need to know is whether it did. I'm no expert, but have read a bit about it, and find it hard to picture a glacier flowing from the coast to inland. In other words I can't see how glaciation could have transported bluestones nearer to Stonehenge than their origin is today, if the only natural source is from the Preselis.

It's an interesting debate.

All the best,
TE.

Hi TE ,the most recent suggestion was the Craig Rhosyfelin one , but the one you mention sounds like Darvill and Wainwright and probably the Carn Menyn stone http://www.archaeology.co.uk/articles/news/the-stones-of-stonehenge.htm . It's certainly not dressed like the stones at Stonehenge and is no different from similar sized and shaped rocks found on the Preseli outcrops which have also been used for local building stone in the historoc period .

The glacial theory depends on the Irish sea glacier entraining the rocks at Preseli and and depositing them somewhere around the Somerset levels i.e. the movement need not be unidirectional and the Somerset levels is the eastern extent of the glacier . Of course just because the glacier was capable of doing so doesn't mean it did .