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Congrats Hob

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Rhiannon R
Rhiannon Sep 14, 2006 10:02:18
Replying to FourWinds

Well I never, Chris and Hob quoted in a paper, how exciting.
I am right in thinking that the article doesn't include the photo of the spiral when it actually 'existed'? which is a bit of a shame.

Stan's rubbing of it is so very neat (I suppose the culmination of lots of messier ones tidied up as he went along?). Presumably he must have been rubbing over something that was different heights from the stone (you can't imagine that a highly experienced stone-frottager like him would be totally imagining being able to take a rubbing off something that was just pigment on the rock)? Anyway my point is, regardless of whether the spiral was there because of pigment or becuase of lichen growing preferentially on a nice yoghurty (etc) base:

- Supposing you get a pattern becasue of lichen, wouldn't the fancy new techniques record this as different heights from the stone, and consequently think that a carving did exist? Can the new techniques distinguish the two? The article was about how old techniques like feeling and rubbing and running around with a sheet over your head might not be as reliable as you'd like. But couldn't there be problems with the new technique?

H Hob
Hob Sep 14, 2006 17:35:45
Replying to Rhiannon

Rhiannon wrote:
I am right in thinking that the article doesn't include the photo of the spiral when it actually 'existed'? which is a bit of a shame.
You're right, it's not there, and it is a shame, as it's quite a clear spiral. One of the things I've wondered about, is moisture retention. A thin layer of lichen/bryophyte is sufficient to retain enough water to make it look significantly darker than surrounding stone, if it's been a bit windy, and the water on the surrounding rock has evaporated away.

Regarding Stan's rubbing, I think there my have been a bit of relief there when he did them (Though I suspect he does 'enhance' the salient areas of the rubbing), but if it were youghurt induced flora, it probably wouldn't survive long at such a heavily visited site as Castlerigg. There may even be something in the oblique allegation in the article that the acid in blank newsprint (The paper Stan used) may have hastened erosion of lichen, though I'm not so sure it would be sufficiently concentrated to significantly erode the stone itself.