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Stone shifting 5
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nigelswift
8112 posts

All up in the air again...
Sep 17, 2003, 22:12
I wrote this because I found some evidence that seemed to cast doubt on Vertical Tipping from a Tower. But it also casts doubt on the latest “Whole Lift” thoughts. It’s obviously a crucial matter so I’d prefer it if everyone checked it out and ideally we get some expert advice.

First (speculation rather than evidence):
The trilithon uprights and the sarsen circle uprights vary in length by several feet, yet all are buried more or less deeply so that their tops are all very level with each other. I’m wondering if this suggests a rope technique where you could let the stone down and repeat the process after doing fine packing adjustments to get it just right, rather than a one-shot technique off a tower. (The differing lengths would pretty much preclude Whole Lift as well).

Second, more importantly.
Apart from the mention on Steve’s plans, I’ve found 2 more references to a “ramp fill” at Stone 56 here:
http://robin.eng-h.gov.uk/stoneh/listsar.htm
I’m not sure we can reconcile a log tower with that. It suggests a shallow insertion, not a vertical drop. If we can’t get round that then we have to build a ramp (of chalk rubble, they imply).

However, I think that would be nothing but good news for Gordon and the project:
First, we can go uphill steeper than the Beeb. I assume therefore our ramp would be much smaller than whatever sized one they used.
Second, this fits with the repeated question – Where did the ramp material go? In our case, there would be a lot less of it.
Third, it saves us time and trouble. Just as we have a pre-dug hole, so we have a pre-dumped ramp.
Fourth, stone rowing becomes the star of the show – we row up the ramp and then row horizontally onto a (low) collapsible ramp. We could actually “arrive” from Avebury and row the stone straight into position and collapse it into the hole, before pulling it up. In how long, if we were well organized? Pretty impressive TV!
Fifth, in so doing we could still show off Gordon’s collapsible tower method of tipping the stone, which may be superion to the BBC’s counterbalancing stone.
Sixth, we are spared levering up the heavy stone but can still demonstrate it on the lintel.
Seventh, stone rowing could have a second starring role – moving the lintel across off it’s tower.

We could present the whole thing in terms of Stone Rowing being not only the possible solution to Moving the Megaliths but also being the centrepiece to Raising the Megaliths.

As I say though, I’d like an expert to tell us current thinking on whether ramps are really evidence based before we make a final decision.
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