Calling Citizen Cairn'd

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The Eternal T
The Eternal Jun 23, 2013 00:28:08
Replying to thelonious

Hi thelonius,

From the photo it looks like the cairn has a substantial base, far wider than the exposed rocks on top. This also appears to be embedded in the ground, and substantially overgrown.

This suggests a cairn of some age, and not modern. Most summit cairns that have been erected since people started climbing mountains for fun don't usually have that look.

Obviously, that's just my opinion based on viewing a few pictures on t'internet. However, from what I have seen of prehistoric cairns in real life, and comparing them to non-prehistoric cairns, I would say that your cairn looks more like a prehistoric one. Having said that, I don't know whether cairns were built throughout history; i.e. could it be 12 century for arguments sake?

Cheers,

TE.

T thelonious
thelonious Jun 23, 2013 00:33:59
Replying to The Eternal

Hi ET

I really appreciate your thoughts on the cairn. They pretty much reflect my own.

Wondering is sometimes better than knowing :-)

t

G GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jun 23, 2013 10:56:48
Replying to The Eternal

The Eternal wrote:
However, from what I have seen of prehistoric cairns in real life, and comparing them to non-prehistoric cairns, I would say that your cairn looks more like a prehistoric one. Having said that, I don't know whether cairns were built throughout history; i.e. could it be 12 century for arguments sake?

Cheers,

TE.

The 'just because it clearly isn't modern doesn't mean it's prehistoric' is a good point, I think. Although I can't be specific, I've come across references to pious christians complaining of how the heathen locals refuse to give up their ungodly ways and still visit the 'old places'. Tend to assume these were always stone circles or standing stones... by why not the old cairns? Perhaps repairing, adding to them, building new ones, even, back in the Middle Ages?

Perhaps at least some of the internal robbing we see nowadays was under the direction of ministers who simply wanted to dispose of the old internments as a focus for the people... desecrate, in other words?

Your thoughts on the Cumbrian sites are welcome since you've obviously seen quite a few at first hand... a lot more than I... hence I'm not really up to speed regarding survival of cist elements in the area? As George says Scotland is a different kettle o' fish due to the sheer size and the subdivision into estates. Pretty much laws unto themselves, I guess, the local laird undertaking so-called 'poor relief' by building monuments which might or might not have been documented.