Just returned from a few days at Amesbury and Avebury. Nothing to compare to the feeling of excitement as you wander Carrowkeel or the anticipation of Swindale as you walk up the farm track, however, good to catch up on some of the less visited areas (less visited by me that is). So much written about both places you would not think it was all pre history. Left me with a couple of points I would like to chase down 1) Did the river Avon follow the same course through Amesbury 4700 years ago and how would that impact on the ceremonial route to Stonehenge 2) Some of the monuments must have used labour from all over the UK and maybe Europe, if so what language was used to direct works, was there a common language, or was sign language used more extensively than today. Sure to be lots of theories out there so winter reading sorted at least. By the way, promise I did not leave a boot print on any pristine Mesolithic surface.
Hey, hope you had a good time, weather was on your side if nothing else.
As far as languag goes, read a book pertaining to the Iron Age which stated that Breton, Cornish, Welsh and Gaelic all come from a common root. Either Brithonic P for Welsh (the example given is for the word son, which in Welsh is Map) and Brithonic Q for Gaelic (Which is why son in Scottish is Mac). Apparently modern Welsh is the closest we have to the language of Britains during the Iron Age. It wouldn't be a terrible stretch to imagine it stemming from an older language. According to the book (unfortunately i forget what book it was) the Gaulish Iron Age tribes in France had no problems understanding the English Tribes, though that doesn't mean that thy spoke exactly the same tongue. Would be curious to know if there were regional variations in the languge like we used to have not so long ago, and indeed have to some degree these days with regional accents.
So sorry, didn't really answer your question, but went some way too.
I saw a Time Team (I think) docu with Tony on a barge with Mike PP and a couple of others, one who stated that the course of the Avon hadn't changed a great deal since the Neolithic. Being chalk I'd have thought it would have cut deeper channels at bends etc.... so moved it somewhat, but apparently not. Think the prog was about finds at Durrington Walls, and the causeway from Durrington to the Avon. Also on catch up on Virgin, there are a couple of Stonhenge Docu's on there right now from the last week, One about ongoing Landscape Project (the Lidar and geophys one) from 2015 where one of the guys seemed to think that the Sarsens were dragged on a route pretty much the same ass the ice age grooves of the avenue, but I've heard no one else subscribe to that (and indeed, if you've walkd the final bit of the avenue, under grass, the grooves don't seem that apparent at all, so I don't know if it's just a happy accident, or Archeo's overthinking things again).
As you've said, and others too, there are so many other remote and amazing prehistoric sites to visit in the British Isles which don't get anything like the same publicity as Stonehenge - thank goodness. Ireland in particular holds a pull for me.
Having said that, yesterday morning went across the Marlborough Downs, through Avebury, past Silbury on the 49 bus (from Swindon). There was mist lifting in November sunlight - nowhere more beautiful or ancient to be found anywhere. Just past Beckhampton saw a large flock of lapwings - quite a rare and thrilling sight.
Don't forget about Avebury and surrounding landscape - always the place I go back to. Never ever disappoints.
Unless otherwise stated, the copyright in each work is the property of the respective contributor. For usage or questions, contact [email protected].