tuesday
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Re: what ever has happened to avebury?
Jul 23, 2005, 14:39
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"people don't have to use the pub or the restaurant if they don't want to; they don't have to go to Avebury by car and they don't need to read information boards or go into the two Avebury museums, the National Trust shop or the Henge Shop. For some it will be their first experience of a stone circle and may generate an interest to visit quieter and more remote sites"
of course you are right mate, but these things are difficult to avoid and probably put off many others too!
perhaps there are those who are communal (and probably big hearted) by nature and those who prefer things to feel individual (me). what I see is a well-intentioned and unconciously inexorable move towards institutionalisation, convenience, hegemony and control - not in a conspiracy theory sort of way - it's just an unchallenged assumption that that makes things better
look, part of the way i think is elitist I know and, with respect to rhiannon, I don't think Avebury is 'spoilt' - it's outlasted many things and hopefully 'World Heritage Status' is just the latest....
If sites are better protected because they are institutionalised, that's good but again look at the Greek monasteries - many are a very arduous climb, you have to wear cover-up clothing and there is no beer at the end at the end of the journey. You definately leave with a sense of pilgrimage rather than having had a nice day out........
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doktoratomik
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Re: what ever has happened to avebury?
Jul 23, 2005, 15:36
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Thing is, the Avebury is a village with a bloody great road running right through the middle of it. It's never gonna be a sight of remote pilgrimage, is it?
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Littlestone
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Re: what ever has happened to avebury?
Jul 23, 2005, 17:36
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>...but again look at the Greek monasteries - many are a very arduous climb, you have to wear cover-up clothing and there is no beer at the end at the end of the journey. You definately leave with a sense of pilgrimage rather than having had a nice day out........<
With respect, comparing Avebury to a Greek monastery is a little like comparing a cathedral to a parish church (where have I heard that before)* or a buzzing metropolis to a sleepy hamlet.
Avebury lies a stone's throw from the Ridgeway - the M4 of Neolithic times and therefore always <i>very accessible</i>. The Avebury circle, Silbury, the Sanctuary and other nearby structures lay at the centre of a vibrant Neolithic culture and were not just places of pilgrimage. Given its position and ease of access Avebury was probably also a place for markets, trials, marriages, funerals, worship, instruction and, last but not least, merrymaking. Avebury never was an isolated place of pilgrimage like a Greek monastery, and though it has slept quietly for the last few millennia perhaps it has now regained something of its original purpose - a place to meet family, friends and like-minded people, learn something new, have a bit of fun, get married, tell a tale or two and marvel at the wonder and the mystery of it all.
* Stukeley also said of Avebury, "Abury in North Wiltshire, the most august work at this day upon the globe of the earth." (and you don't need to wear special clothing or climb into a basket to get there ;-)
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Ishmael
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Re: what ever has happened to avebury?
Jul 23, 2005, 17:46
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>Avebury was probably also a place for markets, trials, marriages, funerals, worship, instruction and, last >but not least, merrymaking.
There is not a single piece of archaeological evidence to back this statement up.
Durrington walls recently revealed a site of a feast of pigs during last seasons excavation but nothing like that has been found at Avebury.
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Littlestone
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Re: what ever has happened to avebury?
Jul 23, 2005, 17:57
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>There is not a single piece of archaeological evidence to back this statement up.<
Nor is there a single piece of evidence to refute it - but you and I both know that there has been so little archaeology done at Avebury that the jury is still out on many things (and archaeological evidence is not the only thing we should be looking at).
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tuesday
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Re: what ever has happened to avebury?
Jul 23, 2005, 17:59
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right - that's interesting ishmael because it challenges what I imagine is the common assumption of most (including myself) these days.
but really i was making a general point - things being more convenient does not mean they are better
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Ishmael
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Re: what ever has happened to avebury?
Jul 23, 2005, 18:15
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>Nor is there a single piece of evidence to refute it
By that same arguement we could say elephant baiting took place there.
What archaeology that Has been done shows that the inner area was cleaner than expected.
Feasting took place on Windmill hill but by assuming marriages and meetings took place inside Avebury you are placing Xtian idiologies on a pre Xtian culture.
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Littlestone
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Re: what ever has happened to avebury?
Jul 23, 2005, 18:37
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>By that same arguement we could say elephant baiting took place there.<
Until there is evidence that certain practices did or did not take place at Avebury none should be dismissed (with the obvious exception of elephant baiting of course ;-)
>What archaeology that Has been done shows that the inner area was cleaner than expected.<
I repeat, both you and I know that very little archaeology has taken place at Avebury and that the 'inner area' is not the only area of importance within the Avebury complex.
>Feasting took place on Windmill hill but by assuming marriages and meetings took place inside Avebury you are placing Xtian idiologies on a pre Xtian culture.<
I'm not sure why you are equating meetings and marriages here with Xitan ideologies as there is abundant evidence of both practices existing before and outside that ideology - perhaps you would care to elaborate.
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PeterH
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Re: what ever has happened to avebury?
Jul 23, 2005, 19:49
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"Feasting took place on Windmill hill but by assuming marriages and meetings took place inside Avebury you are placing Xtian idiologies on a pre Xtian culture."
Point taken - Littlestone is jumping to conclusions, but do you mean that Christians are the only people that meet and marry?
If you are going to spell Christian as Xtian should you not spell Judaism and Islam as *dasim and (lam or something equally offensive?
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Ishmael
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Re: what ever has happened to avebury?
Jul 23, 2005, 19:53
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no I'm just saying there is no evidence that Avebury was used to marry people like in a Xtian church.
Xtian is just my lazy shorthand like WKLB etc
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