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jimit

1053 posts

"The Tribes of Britain"

Dec 03, 2006, 18:05

I've searched for a mention of this book (David Miles - Phoenix- ISBN 0-7538-1799-3 £9.99) on this site with no luck so an intro an a question might be in order. "Who are we? And where do we come from?" The book is an overview of present thinking concerning the origins, and legends about, the peoples who inhabit these islands from the extreme past to the present.It's the first 120 pages (out of 500) that concern us here, some Italians wander into the frame after that. I'm sure that many of the stories are familiar to us but one little quote jumped out at me...P110..."The earliest known British wheel came from Flag Fen, dating to 1,300bc (although wheels could have arrived 2,000 years earlier).......". His brackets. The source for this assertion?
Perhaps it wasn't as difficult as we might have thought to lug those sodding great rocks all over the place........just bung them on the nearest low-loader and off you go....;)
Jim.

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Wheel (Pete G)

Pete G

3506 posts

Wheel

Dec 03, 2006, 19:07

jimit wrote:

"The earliest known British wheel came from Flag Fen, dating to 1,300bc (although wheels could have arrived 2,000 years earlier).......". His brackets. The source for this assertion?
Perhaps it wasn't as difficult as we might have thought to lug those sodding great rocks all over the
Jim.

Men-an-Tol ?
Surely they would have got the idea for a wheel after making that?
P

In reply to:
"The Tribes of Britain" (jimit)

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Re: Wheel (Littlestone)

Littlestone

5386 posts

Re: Wheel

Dec 03, 2006, 20:29

Men-an-Tol ?
Surely they would have got the idea for a wheel after making that?

Why would they? Men-an-Tol is a circular space contained by a (to all intents and purposes) immovable structure. A wheel is a circular space contained by a movable structure. There is no engineering relationship between the two.

In reply to:
Wheel (Pete G)

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Re: Wheel (nigelswift)

nigelswift

8112 posts

Re: Wheel

Dec 03, 2006, 20:44

There is no engineering relationship between the two.

The space is where they cut the wheel out.
Tsk!

Incidentally, wheels would be no good for moving 40 ton sarsens, they'd sink into the ground. You'd need tank tracks.

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Re: Wheel (Littlestone)

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Re: Wheel (Littlestone)
Re: Wheel (handofdave)

Littlestone

5386 posts

Re: Wheel

Dec 03, 2006, 20:54

The space is where they cut the wheel out.

Bugger, knew I'd missed something - that's going in my book of Best 21st century Koans.

In reply to:
Re: Wheel (nigelswift)

handofdave

3515 posts

Re: Wheel

Dec 03, 2006, 23:30

nigelswift wrote:

Incidentally, wheels would be no good for moving 40 ton sarsens, they'd sink into the ground. You'd need tank tracks.

I thought of that too.
Sleds in the winter when the ground is hard and covered with snow and ice would be easier.

In reply to:
Re: Wheel (nigelswift)

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