Re: Sheepbury Hill | Forum — The Modern Antiquarian

nigelswift Nov 20, 2004 07:34:23

Replying to StoneLifter

StoneLifter,

Your musings about the Z feature...
This plan of Pete's is excellent - http://www.avebury-web.co.uk/stone_numbs.html

I understand that the Z stones are thought to be a later addition, but what strikes me is the alignment in the opposite direction - straight through the dead centre of the whole henge, AND through the oldest feature, the cove.

What this means I don't know but a line that has three significant reference points - and perhaps FOUR if you're right, is beginning to look a bit deliberate, to say the least. I think you're dead right to be suspicious.

nigelswift Nov 20, 2004 07:41:49

Replying to nigelswift

(Sorry, not Pete's, but still excellent!)

StoneLifter Nov 20, 2004 08:08:28

Replying to nigelswift

Pete sent me the plan of the stone numbers - so I can refer to them by id. It's very odd looking at a site from afar - via these and other archived images. I also have a little copy of Thom's plan which I hope is the 'definitive' version. I thought these stones were among the oldest parts !

Thom mentions just one azimuth with the Great Circle and it is the northerly direction between the two inner circle centres. He attributes this possibly to the setting point on the horizon of Deneb at about BC2000. I would suggest that the shorter section of the Z-feature - the few stones nearest to the southern entrance - actually describes this same azimuth (which is also found in other monuments such as Seascale and Smithills).

There is a theory that the native south americans couldn't perceive the wooden ships of the conquistadores. They just didn't see them coming. It is odd how the shared viewpoints of a monument closely agree. (This means I can find any number of internet images of the Z-feature slantways on and absolutely none taken behind the chapel wall looking over the top of the longer section).