Local Stones | Forum — The Modern Antiquarian

Druidisms Jun 24, 2003 09:50:31

Please excuse my ignorance. I'm new to the site and want to develop the very basic knowledge that I have about the megalithic sites in the British Isles. Fantastic site btw.

There has been mention of the London Stones and, in other posts regarding the south east, that they are rare due to the lack of local stone. Surely if the people of the time had wanted to erect such features they would have imported stone as they did for Stone Henge and other sites.

Is it more likely that as the South East became more populated that the stones and sites were cannibalised for building materials and built upon, thus eradicating the historical records?

Sorry to sound like a rank amateur, but then again I am.

Many thanks,

D x

Kammer Jun 24, 2003 10:03:37

Replying to Druidisms

There isn't much in the way of good megalithic material in the south east of England, and apart from the odd glacial lump, I don't think there ever was.

I know what you're thinking though. How come there's nothing there? Surely the prehistoric Londoners had a similar religion to their neighbours in Wessex (the Medway monuments point to this). The answer is that, in the absence of stone, they used wood. The wooden temples rotted away, and the post holes that remained were largely destroyed by the building of the largest conurbation in Europe and outside the city, intensive farming.

That's how I see it, but I'm sure there are other interpretations out there.

Kammer x

jimit Jun 24, 2003 13:07:02

Replying to Druidisms

For a fairly technical discussion of "Sarsen" stones in the S. and SE. try this site. http://www.soton.ac.uk/~imw/erratic.htm#soton

fitzcoraldo Jun 24, 2003 13:42:52

Replying to Druidisms

Whenever I see pictures of london excavations, they are all deep into the ground, so I presume the prehistoric landscape is buried beneath the roman landscape which in turn is buried beneath 2000 years of habitation.
Time to get your pick & shovel out fella!