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by seemslikeadream » Mon Jun 15, 2015 9:45 am
by seemslikeadream » Mon Jun 29, 2015 9:26 am
EXPLORING ANCIENT LIFE UNDER THE SHADOW OF STONEHENGE
OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE PEOPLE WHO WORSHIPED AT STONEHENGE AND WORKED ON ITS CONSTRUCTION IS SET TO BE TRANSFORMED THROUGH A NEW PROJECT LED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF READING.
This summer, in collaboration with Historic England, the Arts and Humanities Research Council and Wiltshire Museum, archaeologists are embarking on an exciting three-year excavation in the Vale of Pewsey, Wiltshire.
Situated between the iconic prehistoric monuments of Stonehenge and Avebury, the Vale of Pewsey is a barely explored archaeological region of huge international importance. The project will investigate Marden Henge. Built around 2400 BC ‘Marden’ is the largest henge in the country and one of Britain’s most important but least understood prehistoric monuments.
Excavation within the Henge will focus on the surface of what is thought to be one of the oldest houses in Britain, a Neolithic building revealed during earlier excavations. The people who used this building will have seen Stonehenge in full swing, perhaps even helped to haul the huge stones upright.
Dr Jim Leary, from the University of Reading’s Department of Archaeology and Director of the Archaeology Field School, said: “This excavation is the beginning of a new chapter in the story of Stonehenge and its surrounds. The Vale of Pewsey is a relatively untouched archaeological treasure-chest under the shadow of one of the wonders of the world.
“Why Stonehenge was built remains a mystery. How the giant stones were transported almost defy belief. It must have been an astonishing, perhaps frightening, sight. Using the latest survey, excavation and scientific techniques, the project will reveal priceless insight into the lives of those who witnessed its construction.
“Marden Henge is located on a line which connects Stonehenge and Avebury. This poses some fascinating questions. Were the three monuments competing against each other? Or were they used by the same communities but for different occasions and ceremonies? We hope to find out.”
The Vale of Pewsey is not only rich in Neolithic archaeology. It is home to a variety of other fascinating historical monuments from various periods in history, including Roman settlements, a deserted medieval village and post-medieval water meadows. A suite of other investigations along the River Avon will explore the vital role of the Vale’s environment throughout history.
Dr Leary continued: “One of the many wonderful opportunities this excavation presents is to reveal the secret of the Vale itself. Communities throughout time settled and thrived there – a key aim of the dig is to further our understanding of how the use of the landscape evolved – from prehistory to history.”
Duncan Wilson, Historic England Chief Executive, added: “Bigger than Avebury, ten times the size of Stonehenge and half way between the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Sites, comparatively little is known about this fascinating and ancient landscape. The work will help Historic England focus on identifying sites for protection and improved management, as well as adding a new dimension to our understanding of this important archaeological environment.”
The Vale of Pewsey excavation also marks the start of the new University of Reading Archaeology Field School. Previously run at the world-famous Roman town site of Silchester, the Field School will see archaeology students and enthusiasts from Reading and across the globe join the excavation.
Stonehenge's sun-disc revealed: Rare 4,500-year-old gold decoration found in grave near sacred site goes on display
The 4,500 year old thin disc of gold is decorated with a cross and circle
It is one of just six sun-discs to have been found in Britain and may have belonged to a chieftain of a tribe living in the area around Stonehenge
The golden disc is one of the earliest known pieces of metalwork in Britain
It was found in a burial mound at Monkton Farleigh in Wiltshire in 1947
By RICHARD GRAY FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 09:14 EST, 23 June 2015 | UPDATED: 11:07 EST, 23 June 2015
One of the earliest known pieces of metalwork in Britain, found just a few miles from Stonehenge, has gone on display to the public for the first time.
The gold sun-disc, which was forged around 4,500 years ago at around the same time the main circle of Stonehenge was erected, was discovered in the Bronze Age burial mound of a local chieftain.
Thought to represent the sun, the thin sheet of embossed gold features a cross at the centre surrounded by a circle. Each is decorated with dots that glint in the sunlight.
This sun-disk is made from a thin sheet of gold that has had the design of a cross and circle beaten into it. The indentations decorating each are thought to be intended to catch the sunlight. It is one of only six sun-disks to have been found in Britain and has now gone on display to the public for the first time at the Wiltshire Museum
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This sun-disk is made from a thin sheet of gold that has had the design of a cross and circle beaten into it. The indentations decorating each are thought to be intended to catch the sunlight. It is one of only six sun-disks to have been found in Britain and has now gone on display to the public for the first time at the Wiltshire Museum
The disc, which is one of only six sun disc found in Britain, may have once formed part of a headdress or garment.
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Experts believe the disc, which is around two inches (5cm) wide, may have been made with gold imported to England from Ireland, where there is evidence that gold was being mined at the time.
However, new research has raised the prospect that it could be made of Cornish gold as rich deposits in the area were being exported to Ireland and elsewhere at the time.
THE ORIGINS OF STONEHENGE
No one is exactly sure why - or how - Stonehenge was built more than 4,000 years ago.
Experts have suggested it was a temple, parliament and a graveyard.
Some people think the stones have healing powers, while others think they have musical properties when struck with a stone.
They could have acted as a giant musical instrument to call ancient people to the monument.
What is clear, is that the stones were aligned with phases of the sun.
People were buried there and skeletal evidence shows that people travelled hundreds of miles to visit Stonehenge - for whatever reason.
Experts think that the route was a busy one and that Stonehenge could be viewed differently from different positions.
It seems that instead of being a complete barrier, the Curcus acted as a gateway to guide visitors to the stone circle.
The mysterious sun-disc, which was discovered alongside the remains of a skeleton of an adult male at a burial mound at Monkton Farleigh in 1947 , is now on public display for the first time at the Wiltshire Museum in Devizes, Wiltshire to mark the summer solstice.
David Dawson, director of the Wiltshire Museum, said: 'This is an incredibly important object as it was one of the earliest pieces of metal to appear in Britain.
'Gold is precious to us, but to people at the time they had not seen metal at all and it would have been completely new and something far out of their experience.
'We think it was owned by a local chieftain and was buried with him when he died. His family clearly valued it enough to put it into his grave so he could carry it with him to the afterlife.'
The discovery of the sun-disc in the grave at Monkton Farleigh has helped to shed light not only on the wealth of people living at the time but also their relationship with death.
Sun worship is thought to have been common in the early bronze age and the highly reflective golden metal disk would have had special significance in that culture.
Stonehenge has long been associated with the sun as many of the stones appear to be aligned with phases of the sun.
Thousands of people still descend on the ancient monument each year to watch the sun rise on the summer solstice.
At the time when the sun-disc found at Monkton Farleigh was made, the sarsen stones at Stonehenge had just been erected.
The golden disk was found in an early Bronze Age burial mound in Monkton Farleigh around 20 miles from the famous stone circle of Stonehenge. It is thought the disk was intended to represent the sun, while the stones at Stonehenge also appear to have been aligned to catch the position of the sun at different times of the year
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The golden disk was found in an early Bronze Age burial mound in Monkton Farleigh around 20 miles from the famous stone circle of Stonehenge. It is thought the disk was intended to represent the sun, while the stones at Stonehenge also appear to have been aligned to catch the position of the sun at different times of the year
The sun-disk was found in a burial mound along with the remains of an early Bronze Age chieftain. A pottery beaker and flint arrowheads were also found in the grave. The drawing above is from a similar burial discovered from the same period. The body was placed in a fetal position to perhaps signify life after death
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The sun-disk was found in a burial mound along with the remains of an early Bronze Age chieftain. A pottery beaker and flint arrowheads were also found in the grave. The drawing above is from a similar burial discovered from the same period. The body was placed in a fetal position to perhaps signify life after death
Documentary reveals the best kept secrets of Stonehenge
The disc itself has two small holes that appear to have been used to attach it to a piece of clothing or headdress.
The skeleton was found buried with a pottery beaker, which may have been used to hold wine and flint arrowheads.
The rare sun-disk is just a couple of inches across and is thought to have been worn on a headdress or attached to clothing with holes in the middle
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The rare sun-disk is just a couple of inches across and is thought to have been worn on a headdress or attached to clothing with holes in the middle
It points to burial practices that believed in life after death or perhaps even resurrection, and burying a relative with personal and valuable items would have allowed carry them with them.
Just six sun-discs have been found in Britain and appear to have been made by beating gold into thin shapes that were decorated with repoussé (hammered) motifs.
It was thought that gold created in the early Bronze Age arrived in Britain from Ireland where more sun-discs have been discovered.
However, a new scientific technique developed by archaeologists at the University of Southampton and University of Bristol has revealed that not all gold in Ireland came from the country.
While the gold in the north and west of Ireland appears to have been local, gold from the south of the country came from Cornwall. It suggests people living around 2,500BC had a rich trade in gold.
The researchers believe that the flow of gold from Cornwall to Ireland may be a sign that people in Britain attached little significance to the valuable metal.
Dr Alistair Pike, an archaeologist at the University of Southampton who took part in the study, said: 'The results of this study are a fascinating finding.
'They show that there was no universal value of gold, at least until perhaps the first gold coins started to appear nearly two thousand years later.
'Prehistoric economies were driven by factors more complex than the trade of commodities – belief systems clearly played a major role.'
Mr Dawson said he hoped the new techniques could help to unravel the origins of the Monkton Farleigh disc.
by seemslikeadream » Mon Sep 07, 2015 1:01 pm
Stonehenge researchers 'may have found largest Neolithic site'
Lead researcher Vince Gaffney says the discovery is the pinnacle of a five-year project mapping the earth beneath Stonehenge
Stone monoliths found buried near Stonehenge could have been part of the largest Neolithic monument built in Britain, archaeologists believe.
The 4,500-year-old stones, some measuring 15ft (4.5m) in length, were discovered under 3ft of earth at Durrington Walls "superhenge".
The monument was on "an extraordinary scale" and unique, researchers said.
The Stonehenge Hidden Landscapes team has been creating an underground map of the area in a five-year project.
Remote sensing and geophysical imaging technology has been used to reveal evidence of nearly 100 stones without the need for excavation.
The monument is just under two miles (3km) from Stonehenge, Wiltshire, and is thought to have been a Neolithic ritual site.
Experts think it may have surrounded traces of springs and a dry valley leading into the River Avon.
Although no stones have been excavated they are believed to be fashioned from sarsen blocks found locally.
Sarsen stones are sandstone blocks found mainly on Salisbury Plain and the Marlborough Downs in Wiltshire.
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Media caption
The find has been dubbed a "superhenge" because the site is five times the area of Stonehenge, as Victoria Gill reports
A unique sarsen standing stone, The Cuckoo Stone, remains in the field next to Durrington Walls.
The stones are believed to have been deliberately toppled over the south-eastern edge of the bank of the circular enclosure before being incorporated into it.
Lead researcher Vince Gaffney, of the University of Bradford, said: "We don't think there's anything quite like this anywhere else in the world.
"This is completely new and the scale is extraordinary."
Radar scanning at Durrington Walls, WiltshireImage copyrightGeert Verhoeven
Image caption
Gradiometers that measure magnetic variations were used to detect the large stones at Durrington Walls
Archaeologist Nick Snashall said: "The presence of what appear to be stones, surrounding the site of one of the largest Neolithic settlements in Europe adds a whole new chapter to the Stonehenge story."
The earthwork enclosure at Durrington Walls was built about a century after the Stonehenge sarsen circle, but archaeologists believe the newly discovered stone row could have been put in place at the same time or even earlier.
Andy Rhind-Tutt, Heritage Trust founder, described the findings as "an incredible discovery".
He and University of Buckingham researchers have been involved in another nearby site, Blick Mead, thought to be at least 9,500 years old.
Mr Rhind-Tutt fears this and other sites could be damaged or lost to a planned A303 road tunnel past Stonehenge.
"It's a big concern to all of us, especially as we are at the tip of the iceberg with this particular discovery, and it would be horrible to destroy one of the most significant sites in the world," he said.
"The hidden treasure trove of the Stonehenge landscape just begs the question about why are all these incredible structures here?"
David Jacques, from the University of Buckingham, who is also involved in Blick Mead, described the find as "absolutely brilliant "and a "game changer".
"All the monuments have a relationship with each other," he said.
"So rather than just 'atomising' them and looking at them as individual entities there are deliberate lines of sight or knowledge that things are just over the hill.
"When you put that together in the late Neolithic - there's something vibrant, exciting and dynamic [about the find]."
The findings were being announced on the first day of the British Science Festival being held at the University of Bradford.
by seemslikeadream » Fri Sep 11, 2015 10:50 am
Monolith Near Stonehenge Has Different Shape and Purpose
September 10, 2015 Paul Seaburn
As impressive as Stonehenge is, newly discovered stones at a site just two miles away may put it to shame in size, scope and purpose. The site is the Durrington Walls and new evidence suggests that it once had at least 90 stones standing in a straight line. Many of them are buried on their sides just feet below the surface and they may have been knocked over on purpose.
Map shwing the locations of Stonehenge and Durrington Walls
Previous excavations found houses showing that Durrington Walls was a short-lived settlement dating back to between 2525 and 2470 BC. It’s surrounded by a ditch and a bank that measures a meter tall in some spots. To avoid damaging the site, the Stonehenge Hidden Landscapes Project pulled ground-penetrating radar equipment over it and made the startling new discoveries.
Ground-penetrating radar equipment was used to discover the new stones without excavation
Ground-penetrating radar equipment was used to discover the new stones without excavation
Ninety monoliths measuring 15 feet in height were found buried in a straight line. Thirty stones are intact while the other 60 are in fragments. All appear to have once been standing in a line and were knocked down and buried underneath the dirt bank. Why this was done is a mystery.
The green circles are the buried stones
So is the reason for the stones being in a straight line. The monument predates the Durrington Walls settlement and may have been built at the same time as Stonehenge or possibly even earlier. Despite their close proximity, they don’t appear to have served the same purpose and may not have been built by the same people. The massive scale of the Durrington Walls monument suggests it was a ritual arena built to be impressive in size and shape.
stones small
This would have been impressive
Part of Durrington Walls is aligned with the rising sun on the winter solstice. If it was indeed a sacred and significant site, the toppling and burial of the stones may have been done to protect it.
The discovery was unveiled at the opening of the British Science Festival at the University of Bradford.
The true mystery of Stonehenge, Avebury, Durrington Walls and the other Neolithic sites is that the more we find out about them, the less we know.
by seemslikeadream » Mon Oct 05, 2015 1:18 pm
by seemslikeadream » Mon Oct 12, 2015 10:17 am
by Iamwhomiam » Mon Oct 12, 2015 2:04 pm
Everywhere they went these ‘Magicians of the Gods’ brought with them the memory of a time when mankind had fallen out of harmony with the universe and paid a heavy price.
by slimmouse » Mon Oct 12, 2015 3:07 pm
by Pele'sDaughter » Mon Oct 12, 2015 4:06 pm
by backtoiam » Mon Oct 12, 2015 4:18 pm
slimmouse » Mon Oct 12, 2015 2:07 pm wrote:
Im not actually sure if this is a genuine image of the Great pyramid of Giza taken on the Soltice or not.
What I do know is that we used to be a lot smarter than we currently think we are.
by seemslikeadream » Mon Oct 12, 2015 4:44 pm
NEW RESEARCH SHOWS SCOTLAND INHABITED 3000 YEARS EARLIER THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT
Ice Age stone tools
Archaeologists from the University of Reading have found the earliest dated evidence for human activity in Scotland - with a helping hand from a herd of pigs.
The team made the remarkable discovery of a set of 12,000 year-old Ice Age stone tools while excavating Rubha Port an t-Seilich, on Islay in the Inner Hebrides in 2013. The tools include scrapers used for cleaning skins, sharp points likely used for hunting big game, such as reindeer, and much more.
While the dig involved highly skilled archaeologists they have another team, or herd, to thank for the discovery. Pigs foraging along the Islay coastline uprooted Mesolithic objects in 2009 which ultimately led to the start of the excavation.
The age and distinctive style of the tools means they had been made by people of the Ahrensburgian culture, which flourished in mainland Europe towards the end of the last Ice Age. A few sites from this culture have recently been discovered in Denmark and Sweden, suggesting the Ahrensburgian people may also have been coastal foragers, perhaps hunting sea mammals from skin boats. The discovery confirms this but also suggests a level of seafaring and exploration entirely unexpected for the Ice Age.
The tools were discovered while the team were excavating what turned out to be one of the best preserved Mesolithic sites in Scotland. That revealed a diverse range of stone tools, animal bones, plant remains and a fireplace. However on the last day of the excavation the team were stunned to find tools that would have been used thousands of years earlier.
Professor Steve Mithen and Dr Karen Wicks, from the University of Reading's Department of Archaeology led the excavation. Dr Wicks said: "The Mesolithic finds were a wonderful discovery - but what was underneath took our breath away. The Ice Age tools provide the first unequivocal presence of people in Scotland about 3000 years earlier than previously indicated. This moves the story of Islay into a new historical era, from the Mesolithic into the Palaeolithic.
"Western Scotland was the northwest frontier of the Ice Age world, a continuous landmass stretching across Europe to Asia. It was originally thought that people first arrived in Scotland after the end of the ice age, around 10,500 years ago. However we now know that a group of ice age hunter-gatherers visited Islay much earlier, discarding broken stone tools at what we think was maybe a camp site, on the island's east coast.
"At that time the highlands of northwest Scotland remained covered by glaciers and Britain was still attached to the continent by low-lying bogs and marshes, a region we now call Doggerland. We believe there were windows of opportunity, probably in the summer months, during the closing stages of the Ice Age when people would have visited Rubha Port an t-Seilich. It would have provided easy access via a sheltered bay to a rich array of natural resources from the sea, coast and land.
"The Ice Age hunters likely sailed in skin boats along the rivers and marshes of Doggerland and then around the north of Scotland to arrive at its west coast, where Rubha Port an t-Seilich provided an attractive camp site.
The archaeologists are grateful to the game-keeper who came across the Mesolithic objects after the pigs, who were released on Islay to reduce bracken, unearthed them, and thankful to the resident who knew of the earlier work the Reading team had conducted on the island, and tipped the researchers off.
Dr Wicks continued: ""The initial discovery was more swine team than Time Team. Archaeology relies on expert planning and careful analysis - but a bit of luck is also very welcome."
The finds were dated using Tephrochronology - a new sophisticated technique in archaeology, which analyses microscopic fragments of volcanic ash. Volcanic eruptions in Iceland resulted in ash clouds over Scotland, with layers of volcanic ash deposited over the landscape. Each eruption produced volcanic ash with a distinct chemical composition, and many of these eruptions have been accurately dated.
Several layers of volcanic ash were found at Rubha Port an t-Seilich coming from both above and below the stone artefacts. This has enabled the team to date them at 12,000 years old, 3000 years older than any previous discovery on Islay.
Dr Wicks continued: "The 2013 trial excavation only scratched the surface of what might be buried at Rubha Port an t-Seilich. Excavation of the underlying Ice Age campsite there will take us into completely new archaeological territory for Scotland. We can't wait to go back next year."
ENDS
by Iamwhomiam » Mon Oct 12, 2015 6:17 pm
by Iamwhomiam » Mon Oct 12, 2015 7:02 pm
Pele'sDaughter wrote,
It makes all kinds of sense to me that who visited these "first people" were the remnants of an advanced civilization right here on this planet.
Very true on both counts!That old time line we've been using is way off base and ignores the ELE's the planet and its inhabitants have survived over the eons. Now that I've firmly settled on this in my mind I've got many more questions.
What I do know is that we used to be a lot smarter than we currently think we are.
by Iamwhomiam » Mon Oct 12, 2015 9:11 pm
by slimmouse » Tue Oct 13, 2015 1:08 am
Iamwhomiam wrote:I doubt it, slim. Looks more like a work done by Christo and Jeanne Claude.
Oh, yeah... what's a wristwatch?
The centers of the four sides are indented with an extraordinary degree of precision forming the only 8 sided pyramid, this effect is not visible from the ground or from a distance but only from the air, and then only under the proper lighting conditions. This phenomenon is only detectable from the air at dawn and sunset on the spring and autumn equinoxes, when the sun casts shadows on the pyramid.
backtoiam wrote:I suspect that using rocks, built into a uniform clock, even as ingenious and fascinating to study as it is, was done by the elite of society, and became the modern wrist watch, and added to the ignorance of feeling and knowing about mother nature by the wider population.
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