The Modern Antiquarian. Stone Circles, Ancient Sites, Neolithic Monuments, Ancient Monuments, Prehistoric Sites, Megalithic MysteriesThe Modern Antiquarian
Home Latest Posts Forums Maps Help
Browse Sites News Blog Contributors The Books
Head To Head   The Modern Antiquarian   Stonehenge Forum Start a topic | Search
Stonehenge
Re: stones and people
158 messages
Select a forum:
That’s exactly the thing that excites me about the concept. If it’s right it changes so many concepts and orthodoxies. If Gordon’s confidence e.g. “a few ton either way is immaterial” (wow!) is proved right then it could mean that there was much less effort involved in making stone monuments than has been thought – far less people, effort, time. Even distance effectively shrinks. It could mean that a family group might have made things that had been presumed to be wider community efforts. Like you say, wouldn’t that imply there would need to be a re-think of the nature of social organization? And ritual? And everything?

On a specific note, Gordon’s use of the term raft, and his opinion the bluestones might need one, prompts yet another speculation. IF it was right that the bluestones came up the river it would be the devil’s own job to get them onto the bank and drag them away. How can you drag a heavy object off a floating raft without the whole thing immediately tipping? But equally, you couldn’t lever it off – how could you use a floating fulcrum? So it seems they must have beached the raft very solidly first, perhaps using a quay. But then, why take a stone off a river raft and put it onto a land raft to take it up the hill? You might, if the river raft was huge, but that river isn’t all that big, so it may not have been. So maybe they transported the whole lot, just as it came, raft and all?

This cake that my daughter brought back from Morocco tastes really weird.


Reply | with quote
nigelswift
Posted by nigelswift
19th August 2003ce
20:58

In reply to:

stones and people (morfe)

2 replies:

Re: stones and people (TomBo)
Re: stones and people (FourWinds)

Messages in this topic:

Terms & Conditions  |  Home  |  Julian Cope presents Head Heritage Top of page