Stonehenge and its Environs 134
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>See; www.stonehengetheanswer.com<

Just finished reading that Gordon - very impressive.

Two things struck me. Firstly, that you've convincingly demonstrated that it would have been possible to move the bluestones in the way that you describe (and presumably it would have been even quicker and easier for the people who actually did move them because they would have had centuries of experience on which to draw).

Secondly (and apologies if this has been covered elsewhere), is that moving big stones (bluestones or otherwise) would presumably have been done when the ground was hard - in other words during the colder months when the crops were in and there wasn't much else to do. That being the case (moving the stones in winter), would people not also have taken advantage of ice and snow to slide or 'sleigh' the stones - if not all of the way then perhaps along some sections of the route?

It kinda brings me back to the above suggestion that transporting the stones might not have been an 'either or' situation but a combination of various factors - just a thought.

Yes, using ice or snow may have been part of the answer if the stones were moved in winter although only on downhill sections.

How cold were the winters 4000 years ago?

I believe when the Romans arrived 2000 years ago the climate was warmer than it is now, although I might be wrong on that.