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Silbury Hill

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StoneGloves S
StoneGloves Jan 2, 2008 18:22:42
Replying to Littlestone

You're right - my suggestion would be simply to impound them. Not return them until their was an assurance of respect. The stone with the flat face toward the camera appears to bear a simple single cupmark. It would be unusual as the cupmark is little known in the south of the country. They're easily overlooked and particularly fresh when they've spent four thousand years buried. Please continue fighting ...

I'll try and capture Bolton's equivalent hill - same size but more oval - on winter sunlit 8mm Kodachrome.

N nigelswift
nigelswift Jan 2, 2008 18:38:52
Replying to StoneGloves

Interesting you should mention one of them having a flat face. Look what Merrewether said about the ones he found -

"I therefore directed that a chamber be cut at right angles with the tunnel on the right hand, following the dip of the primary heap. In this many sarsen stones were discovered, some of them placed with their concave surface downwards, favouring the line of the heap, as is seen frequently in small barrows; and casing, as it were the mound. On the top of some of these were observed fragments of bones, and small sticks, as of bushes, and I am strongly disposed to think of mistletoe and two or three pieces of the ribs either of the ox or red deer, in a sound and unusually compact state, and also the tine of an antler in good state.......
This having been worked as far as seemed necessary, another cutting was commenced on the opposite side, and following the curve of the heaping up of the central cone. In all of these the sarsen stones were similarly disposed."

L Littlestone
Littlestone Jan 2, 2008 20:33:01
Replying to StoneGloves

The stone with the flat face toward the camera appears to bear a simple single cupmark.
Interesting observations SG and Nigel.

Just had a closer look at the third stone from the camera (towards the top-centre of the stone). Don't think we should get too sidetracked on what may or may not be cut into them though - either way they're still (possibly) very, very important items that once formed part of the intrinsic fabric of the Silbury structure.