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Trippet Stones 'repaired'

“One of Bodmin Moor’s most attractive and accessible stone circles is to undergo repairs this week.The Trippet Stones stand on Manor Common, between Bodmin and Blisland, just a mile north west of the A30. The circle, which was originally comprised of 27 stones, was erected about 4,000 years ago during the Bronze Age when the moor was densely populated.

Now, just 12 stones remain and of these four are recumbent and eight standing with two of them leaning at an angle of 45 degrees to the ground

Whilst the work is being carried out the public are being invited to visit to learn more about the prehistoric archaeology of Bodmin Moor.

The work, which starts next Monday is the third and final stage in a programme of erosion repair at the Trippet Stones.

Ann Preston-Jones, Cornwall County Council’s field monument warden, said: “A marked feature of the circle is the erosion around the base of each of the stones, a problem arising from a combination factors.

“The soft damp peaty ground, the poor drainage and stock rubbing up against the stones.

“The eroded holes are up to five metres across and 0.6 metres deep. Their large size undoubtedly explains why two of the stones are leaning and others have fallen.”

Archaeologists from the historic environment service will be working alongside North Cornwall District Council’s countryside service and conservation volunteers to fill the deeply worn holes around the base of the standing stones and to set up one stone that fell 25 years ago.

Previous work has seen four of the eroded hollows filled using many tons of stone, earth and turf.

Over the week the four remaining holes will be filled to give those stones greater stability, protect them from further erosion and make them more accessible.

Children from local schools will be given the opportunity to visit the site while the work is taking place and learn about the stone circle and explore the prehistoric environment in which it is set.

The public can attend the site on Tuesday, October 17 and Thursday, October 19 when Tony Blackman of the Cornish Archaeological Society will be on hand to explain the work and introduce visitors to the prehistoric archaeology of the moor.

And if you can’t get along during the day, there will be talks in Blisland and St Breward at 7pm on the evenings of Tuesday October 17 and Wednesday, October 18.

Details are posted in the two villages.”

“this is cornwall” article

Prehistoric discovery may delay Lewis development

A Neolithic cairn discovered on Lewis could force a controversial wind-farm plan to be redrawn.

Leisure tycoon Nicholas Oppenheim plans to build a 53- turbine wind farm at his Eisgein Estate on the island, but the presence of the cairn could help prove the site was “sacred land” to the prehistoric people who built the famous Callanish standing stones about 12 miles away.

The site lies on a range of hills within the proposed development area known as Cailleach na Mointeach (the Old Woman of the Moors) because the skyline resembles the profile of a woman when viewed from Callanish.

Every 18 and a half years, the Moon rises from her knees – as if being “born” – and then sets at a point framed by the 4,000-year-old stones. Several of the 53 turbines planned by Mr Oppenheim’s Beinn Mhor Power company would interrupt this skyline.

Ian McHardy, an archaeologist, said his discovery of the cairn near the Old Woman’s knees meant the site should be protected. “There’s a five-metre diameter cairn with a curve round the edge of it, which is of typical neolithic construction,” he said.

Mr Oppenheim said: “If there is something, it would be fascinating and the scheme would be amended. But I’d like to hear more about what it is.”

This article: news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1123522006

Combing the Mendips for historic treasures

From The Weston & Somerset Mercury:

A TEAM of archaeologists will begin a four year hunt for hidden treasures on the Mendip Hills soon.

A dozen English Heritage specialists will use the latest aerial scanning technology as well as field surveys and other traditional archaeological techniques to look for new finds.

The project will cost about £100,000 and will end up with an illustrated book of results aimed at a wide audience, as well as technical reports.

English Heritage’s senior archaeological investigator Mark Bowden said: “We are confident that there are rich finds to be had on the Mendips. We know there’s lots of evidence there, it’s an area with huge potential.

“What we learn there will also be of relevance to surrounding lowland areas which were connected to what was going on in the hills. We will be trying to identify previously unrecorded sites and revisit the well known sites with a fresh eye and re-evaluate and interpret what has been discovered in the past.

“We hope to achieve a more complete map of the archaeological remains of the Mendips. We will use aerial photos and ground scans, field surveys, maybe geo-physics and a small amount of excavation and we want to assist local amateur archaeologists by bringing in our own experts and equipment.

“Examples of the things we hope to find include ritual monuments from the prehistoric period like barrows, Priddy Circles and henges.

“A certain number of enclosures have recently been discovered, possibly prehistoric or early medieval. We are hoping we might find more of these banks and ditches or get a clearer idea of how old they are and what their purpose was.”

Suffolk timbers could be prehistoric causeway

From 24Hour Museum:
Timbers unearthed during flood defence work on the Norfolk-Suffolk border have been dated to between 3,000 and 4,000 years ago, archaeologists have revealed.

The very well preserved finds are the first of their kind in the region – it is thought they may have belonged to a walkway across the marshland in the Iron Age.

“This is the first such structure to have been discovered within Suffolk and is one of only a few in Britain,” said Jane Sidell, English Heritage Archaeological Science Advisor, “and as such is a nationally important find.” ,,,,continues....

The Stone Circles of Senegambia gain World Heritage status

“The World Heritage Committee sitting at its 30th session in Vilnius, Lithuania, has approved the inscription of the Stone Circles of the Senegambia in the World Heritage List....
The stone circles complex is a trans-border phenomena which extends/radiates from the River Gambia north to the River Saloum in Senegal. In December 2004 the National Council for Arts and Culture spearheaded a workshop which brought together Gambian and Senegalese heritage officials with a view to harmonizing/synchronizing a World Heritage Nomination dossier and developing a management plan for the circles. From the workshop the most representative sites in Gambia (Wassu and Kerbatch) and Senegal (Sine Ngayen and Wanar) were identified for nomination. These are the sites that have now been inscribed in the World Heritage List.”

more....

UNESCO’s brief description of the site

“World Heritage sites belong to all the peoples of the world, irrespective of the territory on which they are located.” – UNESCO

Nebra Sky Disc Deciphered

“A group of German scientists has deciphered the meaning of one of the most spectacular archeological discoveries in recent years: The mystery-shrouded sky disc of Nebra was used as an advanced astronomical clock.

The purpose of the 3,600 year-old sky disc of Nebra, which caused a world-wide sensation when it was brought to the attention of the German public in 2002, is no longer a matter of speculation.

A group of German scholars who studied this archaeological gem has discovered evidence which suggests that the disc was used as a complex astronomical clock for the harmonization of solar and lunar calendars.”

Full Deutsche Welle article

Henges aligned to the constellation Orion claim

“Researchers at Newcastle University have found the Thornborough Henges are one of the earliest major monuments aligned to the constellation Orion.

The 5,500-year-old earthworks, north of Ripon, and the Egyptian pyramids are thought to have been built to mirror Orion’s belt for its religious focus.

The research will be published in 2007 in a new report on the henges complex.

Senior lecturer at the university Dr Jan Harding said they used a three dimensional model to confirm the stellar alignments of the henges, which date back to the Neolithic period.”

BBC report

Stonehenge Centre Plans Refused

“Plans for a £67m visitor centre at Stonehenge have been turned down over worries about the environment.
Salisbury District Council said the decision to refuse the plan was exacerbated by government plans to review upgrades to the nearby A303.”

Full BBC story at:
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/wiltshire/4719555.stm

________________________________________________________

Update: English Heitage to re-submit plans

“English Heritage is very surprised and disappointed by this decision......
We believe that the grounds for refusal are ones which can easily be addressed and will be discussing with Salisbury District Council when to re-submit the scheme.”

Press release:
english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.5437

Council backs huge wind farm plan

“Plans to build the largest onshore wind farm in Europe have been approved by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council).
An application by Lewis Wind Power for a 209 turbine wind farm in North Lewis, costing £400m, was passed by 19 votes to eight on Wednesday evening.

It was approved despite more than 4,000 objections.

The council also approved by 22 votes to 7 an application by Beinn Mhor Power for 130 turbines on the Eishken Estate.”

Full story:
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4635897.stm

You’re history: Jowell in threat to English Heritage

“Tessa Jowell, the culture secretary, is threatening to dismantle English Heritage, the government quango which runs 400 of the country’s greatest historic sites, ranging from Stonehenge to Dover Castle.
The suggestion follows a series of bitter rows between the government and English Heritage, including one over its attempt to derail plans by John Prescott, the deputy prime minister, to demolish thousands of Victorian homes in northern England.”

timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1522988,00.html

_________________________________

Update:

RESPONSE TO SUNDAY TIMES ARTICLE 13 MARCH, 2005

Members of the public may have seen a very misleading and untrue Sunday Times article suggesting that English Heritage is to be abolished or merged with other organisations. This is untrue and the Secretary of State Tessa Jowell has written to the Chairman refuting it and setting out the value Ministers place on English Heritage and the work we do.

english-heritage.org.uk/default.asp?wci=mainframe&URL1=default.asp%3FWCI%3DNodeContent%26WCE%3D4970

Pigs domesticated 'many times'

“Pigs were domesticated from wild boar independently at least seven times around the globe, a new study has said.”

“The team found that all domestic pigs in Europe are descended from European wild boar – and not Near Eastern boar – which means farmers travelling west from Turkey were not bringing significant numbers of pigs with them.”

Full story:

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4337435.stm

Public Inquiry Will Decide Fate of Controversial Stonehenge Plans

A public inquiry will decide the fate of controversial road plans for Stonehenge, it was confirmed this week.

An inquiry had been on the cards since the £193m scheme for ridding the world heritage site of traffic and returning the stones to an ancient setting was first announced.

Now transport minister Alistair Darling has announced that, because of the barrage of objections to the project, there will definitely be a public hearing, and that it will begin on February 17 next year.

thisiswiltshire.co.uk/wiltshire/amesbury/news/AMES_NEWS1.html

Archaeologists Unearth German Stonehenge

German experts on Thursday (07.08.03) hailed Europe’s oldest astronomical observatory, discovered in Saxony-Anhalt last year, a “milestone in archaeological research” after the details of the sensational find were made public.

The sleepy town of Goseck, nestled in the district of Weissenfels in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt shimmers under the brutal summer heat, as residents seek respite in the shade.

Nothing in this slumbering locale indicates that one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of all times was made here. But this is indeed exactly where archaeologists digging in the region last September stumbled upon what they believe is Europe’s oldest astronomical observatory ever unearthed.

On Thursday, German experts toasted the discovery as a “milestone in archaeological research” as details of the find were made public. State archaeologist Harald Meller said the site, which is believed to be a monument of ancient cult worship, provided the first insights into the spiritual and religious world of Europe’s earliest farmers. Francois Bertemes of the university of Halle-Wittenberg estimated the site to be around 7,000 years old. He described its significance as “one of the oldest holy sites” discovered in Central Europe.

Through carbon dating of two arrow heads and animal bones found within the site’s circular compounds, archaeologists have been able to determine the date of the site’s origins. They say that with all likelihood it can be traced back to the period between 5000 and 4800 B.C. If that is the case, it would make the Goseck site the oldest-dated astronomical observatory in Europe.

Observatory had scientific and religious value

But it’s not just its age that makes the Goseck location so unusual.

Compared to the approximately 200 other similar prehistoric mound sites strewn throughout Europe, the Goseck site has striking deviations. Instead of the usual four gates leading into the circular compounds, the Goseck monument has just three. The walled-compound also consists of an unusual formation of concentric rings of man-high wooden palisades. The rings and the gates into the inner circles become narrower as one progresses to the center, indicating perhaps that only a few people could enter the inner-most ring.

Wolfhard Schlosser of the Ruhr University Bochum believes the site’s unique construction indicates that it is indeed one of the earliest examples of an astrological observatory.

Schlosser, a specialist in astro-archeology, says the southern gates marked the sunrise and sunset of the winter and summer solstice and enabled the early Europeans to determine with accuracy the course of the sun as it moved across the heavens. Schlosser is convinced the site was constructed for the observation of astronomical phenomena such as the movements of the sun, moon and stars, and for keeping track of time. These celestial cycles would have been important for the sowing and harvesting of crops in the early civilization.

But, Goseck isn’t merely a “calendar construction,” Schlosser explains, “but rather is clearly a sacred building.” Archeologists have found plenty of evidence to prove that Goseck was a place of prehistoric cult worship. The arrangement of human bones, for instance, is atypical of burial sites, and telltale cut marks on them indicate that human sacrifice was practiced at the site.

Bertemes says it is not uncommon for such astronomical observatories to function as places of worship and centers of religious and social life.

The Goseck site, erected by the earliest farming communities between the Stone and Bronze Age, came 3,000 years before the last construction phase of the megaliths of Stonehenge in Great Britain.

Links between Nebra disc and observatory

Experts are also drawing parallels between the Goseck mounds and another equally spectacular discovery made in the region. “The formation of the site, its orientation and the marking of the winter and summer solstice shows similarities to the world-famous ‘Nebra disc’ – though the disc was created 2,400 years later,” Schlosser says.

The 3,600-year-old bronze Nebra disc was discovered just 25 kilometers away from Goseck in the wooded region of Nebra and is considered to be the oldest concrete representation of the cosmos. The 32-centimeter disc is decorated with gold leaf symbols that clearly represent the sun, moon and starts. A cluster of seven dots has been interpreted as the Pleiades constellation as it appeared 3,600 years ago. Schlosser believes the formations on the disc were based on previous astrological observations, which could possibly have been made at Goseck.

Archeologists are certain the observatory with its function of tracking time played a crucial role in a society dominated by the changing seasons. They theorize that both the Goseck observatory and the Nebra disc indicate that astronomical knowledge was tied to a mythological-cosmological world view right from the beginning.

A Mecca for archeologists

Archaeologists first took note of the location of the Goseck site after aerial images taken in 1991 showed geometrically arranged earth mounds. But it wasn’t until last year that excavation actually got underway. Because the site is being used as learning material for students at the University of Halle-Wittenberg, it is only open for excavation for a limited number of weeks in the year. Next year a group of students from the University of California at Berkley will have a chance to dig in the site.

Rüdiger Erben, district administrator of Weissenfels, believes the discovery of the Goseck observatory will probably result in some rather unscientific possibilities. He says he could imagine the site turning into a “Mecca for hobby archaeologists and astronomers.”

dw-world.de/english/0,3367,1441_A_942824_1_A,00.html

Flatley Goes Back to the Bronze Age...

showbizireland.com/news/may03/01-flatley26.shtml

Lord of the Dance Michael Flatley landed smack-bang in the middle of an important cultural heritage site on the grounds of his new home Castlehyde in Cork on Monday.

Michael Flatley seems to be never far away from controversy and the 6 euro million refurbishment of his mansion in Cork hasn’t been without delays and setbacks.

So when his workmen uncovered a 4,000 year old burial chamber while digging a septic tank on the grounds it might have been less complicated for the billionaire to simply cover it up and say nothing.

But not Michael! The talented dancer and businessman is delighted with the find which uncovered two perfect earthenware jars last Monday.

He told the Evening Herald: “It’s just incredible. It’s possible there is a whole Bronze Age graveyard in this area. There certainly should be a major study done on this site, and what else could be lying undiscovered?”

Aggregates Levy Money For Amateur-Led Excavation Which Has Made Outstanding Discoveries

An excavation begun 12 years ago by a lone amateur which has turned into one of the biggest and most important archaeological sites in the country has been awarded the first part of a grant that could be worth over £160,000 from a fund providing benefits to the community from the quarry industry.

The Bestwall Archaeological Project has uncovered more than 7,000 years of history at a 55 hectare quarry to the east of Wareham, Dorset. The quarry includes one of the largest areas of Middle Bronze Age landscape ever to be excavated and the most substantial ranges of Bronze Age pottery yet discovered in Britain. Also among the finds are Bronze Age ceremonial jewellery and an enormous Roman coin hoard.

Now English Heritage, who helps administer the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund, has allocated money to enable publication of the amazing results of the excavations which are due to finish later this year and which are set to add substantially to our knowledge about our distant past. Amateur volunteers from all over Dorset have carried out most of the excavation, led by Wareham historian Lilian Ladle who was asked to undertake archaeological excavations at the site prior to commercial gravel extraction. The project is seen as a shining example of how amateurs and professionals can work together to produce work of the highest standard.

Buzz Busby, Assistant Ancient Monument Inspector with English Heritage’s South West Region, who is overseeing the latest part of the project on behalf of the ALSF, said: “We are delighted to support this nationally important excavation through the ALSF. The project is extremely unusual as projects of this size are generally only carried out by professional archaeological units. Thanks to the support of the quarry owners and professional archaeologists, this truly outstanding research has been undertaken by local amateurs.”

Among the nationally important finds are rare domestic assemblages of beaker pottery from the Early Bronze Age, a feasting site with ritually placed copper alloy bracelets and ceremonial pottery drinking sets from the Middle Bronze Age and extensive evidence of pottery production from the Late Bronze Age. Altogether more than a twelve thousand pieces of Bronze Age pottery have been discovered,

A vivid picture of the Bronze Age Dorset, previously only visible as burial mounds, has now emerged. On the shores of Poole Harbour generations of prehistoric farmers living in large, well-constructed round houses grew wheat, tended flocks of sheep and enjoyed a good lifestyle. There was plenty to eat and, on occasions, great feasts took place. They made their own pottery, developed trade networks, spun wool and wove it into cloth and adorned themselves with attractive, high-class jewellery.

More drilling

“English Heritage is now planning to investigate the area of the previously collapsed shaft. As part of this assessment we intend to test the consistency of the backfilling in the lower part of the shaft by drilling a borehole through it from the top. Another borehole will be drilled nearby as a control. The information gathered will help us design long-term remedial work.

The work is due to start during the first week of March 2003 and to be completed on site on 26 March 2003.”