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Stonehenge

Stone Shifting 3

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That they may have done things ritualistically and perhaps illogically is a fog that we just have to accept.

But to me we would be best doing what we think was the most likely method. If we think the team was small then Gordon’s method is a good one, perhaps the only one, and we’d do well to adopt it. But if we think they called on the raw pulling power of several hundred people then presumably the most likely method would be different, eg. it wouldn’t need such a high tower or such precision or the ambition to drop the stone vertically.

All this “Nigel’s Reservations” stuff comes down to this: Replication or Demonstration.
Do we proceed on the basis of Gordon’s system (as somewhat amended by our input here). If so, fair enough, it’s his project. But in my personal opinion that would be a Demonstration. Or do we come to a consensus as to what we think was the most likely method (and our opinion of the most likely size of the team may determine that). In my personal opinion that would be a sincere attempt at Replication, and I prefer it.

I’m not going to contribute any more to this sub-thread as I’m happy to follow either Gordon’s final decision or a consensus view.

This is the interesting issue.

I think anyone who looks at Gordon's method can not fail to see its "obviousness".

But you can't replicate what you don't know. Simple.

You can't say it's the best method until you've tried them all either. You certainly can't begin to say it's possibly the best until after you've made the attempt.

You can say "on paper it looks pretty flaming good to me" (which it does), but not that it's the best one.

Basically, at least before the event, this can only be a demonstration of Gordon's great idea. Afterwards you may be able to start to say different.

The use of levers has long been considered. It's Gordon's rowing method that's new.

Don't forget to get a big drum for folks to keep stroke :-)

Replication implies that we "know" how it was done. Anything else must fall into the category of demonstration. However, let's not argue semantics; I think your point is: "We think Gordon's method for moving stones is so simple and so efficient that it is very likely to have been known and used by Stone Age/Bronze Age people, but in relation to the erecting of the stones we ought to use a method that is also the most likely one to have been actually used by these people."

Whilst I understand your reasoning from a strictly archaeological viewpoint, I think there is scope to say: "Let's see if Gordon's method of erecting stones is a viable alternative to the other theories." The BBC have already demonstrated how stones could have been hauled up ramps, we don't need to replicate their technique. If Gordon's method turns out to be a good one, then we merely have another contender for the title of "most likely method" and the archaeological establishment can add it to their bag of tricks (or not) as they see fit.

This is why I strongly believe that we should demonstrate the stone rowing well before we attempt the erection. Let's get stone-rowing accepted first. The erection then becomes: "We know that stone-rowing is a great way to transport blocks, let's see if the same levers and logs idea could have been used to erect the stones too." Then it's an experiment and not a proof.

I think we need to know whether we can drop stones into holes reliably. If we can do it then the method is viable and should be demonstrated so that it can be considered on its merits. If we can't then maybe we either stick to stone-rowing and avoid the issue altogether or consider other methods that involve low towers (using Gordons lifting method) and hauling up to vertical by rope. But I see this as a "Plan B", rather than "Plan A", as you seem to be advocating.