muddymick
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Re: The bluestone debate
Jun 22, 2006, 09:32
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quite good ....nice one!
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Cursuswalker
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Re: The bluestone debate
Jun 22, 2006, 22:23
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Hay thangew!
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Littlestone
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Re: Last British ice sheet
Jun 23, 2006, 22:16
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Thanks riverman. I've only now had time to study the link you supplied at http://www.shef.ac.uk/geography/staff/clark_chris/britice.html which shows the unglaciated areas of Wales and Southern England during the Devensian. But what about earlier glaciations? The sarsen erratics on Fyfield Down in Wiltshire are a result of earlier glacial action - could not the same be said for bluestones in southern England?
Sorry, playing Devil's advocate here, but can't afford to leave any stone unturned ;-)
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mountainman
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Re: Last British ice sheet
Aug 01, 2008, 20:14
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There is indeed good evidence that glacier ice reached Somerset from the west. There are many studies in the literature. The ice came from the west. How far into Somerset is came is another question -- my preference is for a glacier edge somewhere near Glastonbury, but others think the glacier extended all the way to Salisbury plain. Have a look at this fantastic modelling reconstruction of the Last Glacial episode:
http://qra.org.uk/British_Irish_animation.wmv
Since it is now known that the ice reached the Scilly Isles around 20,000 years ago, all the laws of ice physics mean that it must also have transgressed well into SW England at the same time. Watch this space....
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mountainman
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Re: The bluestone debate
Aug 01, 2008, 20:17
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Yes, there was that one, lost during the ill-fated Millennium Stone Project in 2000. But there have been others too -- don't let's be surprised. Since the Irish Sea Glacier pushed across Pembs and right up the Bristol Channel there is a very strong chance that there are hundreds if not thousands of bluestone erratics sitting there in glacial deposits on the sea bed.
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Pilgrim
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Re: Last British ice sheet
Aug 02, 2008, 09:40
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mountainman wrote: There is indeed good evidence that glacier ice reached Somerset from the west. There are many studies in the literature. The ice came from the west. How far into Somerset is came is another question -- my preference is for a glacier edge somewhere near Glastonbury, but others think the glacier extended all the way to Salisbury plain. Have a look at this fantastic modelling reconstruction of the Last Glacial episode:
http://qra.org.uk/British_Irish_animation.wmv
Since it is now known that the ice reached the Scilly Isles around 20,000 years ago, all the laws of ice physics mean that it must also have transgressed well into SW England at the same time. Watch this space....
Hmmmm.....
Hi, mountainman,
I'm not convinced. I know Dartmoor was a barren yucky place, but i'm not convinced that it was ever iced. obviously, as high ground, it stood more chance than the surroundings, but I'll look forward to the development of your thesis on this board.
Peace
Pilgrim
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nigelswift
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A question:
Aug 02, 2008, 11:30
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Much of the speculation about whether the ice sheet reached Salisbury Plain seems to revolve around whether there are other Bluestones around. But what about much smaller pebbles? Round me, where the ice reached, every square yard of a field contains scores of pebbles, all different. In most of Wilts you see nothing like that, only flint.
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Pilgrim
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Re: A question:
Aug 03, 2008, 20:32
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nigelswift wrote: Much of the speculation about whether the ice sheet reached Salisbury Plain seems to revolve around whether there are other Bluestones around. But what about much smaller pebbles? Round me, where the ice reached, every square yard of a field contains scores of pebbles, all different. In most of Wilts you see nothing like that, only flint.
As always, an interesting point from my learned friend. I suppose it all depends how far the ice moves - and from whence (direction) it came. If anyone can enlighten......
Having been to Grimes Graves recently, i am conversant with the different types layered there (it's all down to water content, apparently) and their suitability for working into edged tools. I wonder if it is possible to say weather the flint of Salisbury Plain is all of the same type? Questions, questions.....
Peace
Pilgrim
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TheDazman
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Re: The bluestone debate
Aug 24, 2008, 23:15
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Hello bluestone debaters!
I've had a skip through the bluestone debate, which is fascinating, in the hope I might find a discussion as to why the bluestones were carted to Stonehenge.
The unique alignments of the outer stones, imbuing the area with significance, give reason to the site. Whereas, the bluestones, give rhyme.
I wonder if the significance of the bluestone is due to the fact that the Prescelli mountains are home to the strongest psychedelic mushrooms found on these fair Isle's.
A fantastic combination!
Love and Peace.
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mountainman
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Re: The bluestone debate
Nov 14, 2008, 18:29
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Just caught up on this debate. Quite intriguing to see how personal and vicious some people get, simply because a sacred cow is held up for close examination. It's high time that this particular sacred cow (namely the Human Transport myth relating to the bluestones) was looked at carefully, because it has changed subtly from being a theory in 1921 to being "the truth" today. OK -- a lot of people WANT to believe it, for a variety of reasons, and feel threatened when somebody comes along and questions it, but can we have a bit more tolerance here?
There are two theories -- the glacial theory (which is the one HH Thomas would have accepted quite happily in 1921 if he had known that there are glacial deposits on the eastern side of the Bristol Channel) and the human transport theory. As many people have pointed out, there is not a single piece of evidence to support the latter, whereas there is quite a lot of evidence to support the former. So on the balance of probablilities, the glacial transport theory has to be the one to go for -- until some "killer fact" comes along which will sort out the debate once and for all.
The arguments are laid out in a new book. Info here:
http://www.bluestone-enigma.co.uk
By the way, nobody is talking here about the Last Glaciation. We are talking of a much older ice cover -- some info from new glacier modelling work here:
http://www.brianjohn.f2s.com/enigma7.html
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