Stonehenge and its Environs 134
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Stonehenge and its Environs

The bluestone debate

moss M
moss Dec 14, 2008 10:37:40
Replying to tiompan

No matter how one tries to work it out whether the bluestones were already on Salisbury plain through glaciation (though there is no evidence of this) or that they came from Carn Meyn, there is tantalising evidence in the fact that two strong tidal reaches are caught up in the puzzle, and transportation by boat can be seen as a possibility. Milford Haven with the East Cleddau emptying into it and the Severn Estuary with evidence of bronze age boats at Caldicot and Goldcliff.
If Stonehenge is an ancient sacred central meeting place with the dead being brought to be buried, bringing stones from a long distance is seen to be possible. Given that you can see the sea from up on Carn Meyn, what about an ancient prehistoric track coming over from Ireland with traders who saw the 'potential' of the rather beautiful bluestone.....

M mountainman
mountainman Dec 14, 2008 11:43:46
Replying to moss

Sorry Moss -- don't go along with this "tantalizing evidence" idea at all. Tidal streams and tide races, and rapid river flows, caused mayhem in the Millennium Stone project, causing the bluestone to end up on the bed of Milford Haven. And there has been endless speculation about trade routes, passing traders noticing spotted dolerite etc. Remember that there are at least 20 different rock types in the Stonehenge bluestone assemblage. Why would anybody want to pick up all those "rubbish stones" just because they saw some pretty ones as they passed along a ridgeway?

As far as I'm concerned this is all circular reasoning: they could have done it, therefore they might have done it, therefore they possibly did do it, therefore it probably happened.........

The off Bronze Age boat doesn't tell us much either -- remember we are talking about the Early Neolithic here.

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