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VBB 558 posts |
Edited Jun 19, 2011, 20:05
Jun 19, 2011, 14:02
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John Matthews, The Druid Source Book from the earliest times to the present day (Blandford Press, 1997).
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Littlestone 5386 posts |
Edited Jun 20, 2011, 06:37
Jun 20, 2011, 05:34
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Writing in The Guardian on 15 June Peter Forbes reports that - “The Cro-Magnons were the creators of the cave paintings at Lascaux and Altamira – the ice age hunter gatherers whose art astounds us ("We have learned nothing," said Picasso, after seeing Lascaux). They were modern humans who entered Europe only about 40,000 years ago, and there, despite the hostile ice age environment, created the first artistically sophisticated culture. But that wasn't the end of human evolution. Modern genomics has now shown us that biological evolution actually accelerated from this point on, especially since the beginning of farming 10,000 years ago. “Stringer is most concerned with the period from the emergence of Homo sapiens in Africa, around 195,000 years ago, to their arrival in Europe and the subsequent demise of the Neanderthals (who had left Africa hundreds of thousands of years before). The archaeological record shows Homo sapiens in Africa several times on the verge of a cultural breakthrough, but this is not consolidated until their arrival in Europe. Stringer writes: "It is as though the candle glow of modernity was intermittent, repeatedly flickering on and off again." “Last year, the Neanderthal Genome Project, led by the Swedish biologist Svante Pääbo, finally established that modern humans in Europe and Asia (but not Africa) have some admixture of Neanderthal genes, thus ending decades of speculation. And in December last year the same team produced a total surprise: a genomic analysis of human remains from a cave in Denisova, southern Siberia, which proved to be genetically distinct from all known human types. The team declined at this stage to give the find a Linnean species name, but, by analogy with the Neanderthals, named it Denisovan after the location. The actual Denisovan specimens in Siberia were 30-50,000 years old, and the type predated both modern humans and Neanderthals. "Apart from having what is probably a new species to fit into the pattern of human evolution, the big shock of the Denisovans is that they also have contributed something to the modern human stock in Melanesia (the islands north of Australia that include Papua New Guinea). We now see a pattern emerging of interbreeding between modern humans and earlier types: Neanderthals in Europe and Asia and Denisovans in Melanesia. There will surely be further finds. Especially interesting is East Asia, first peopled by Homo erectus as long as 1.7m years ago.” Published today, The Origin of Our Species by Chris Stringer. Format : Hardback ISBN: 9781846141409 Size : 153 x 234mm Pages : 352 Published : 20 Jun 2011 Publisher : Allen Lane
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Littlestone 5386 posts |
Jun 27, 2011, 13:41
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Published in 2008 Wiltshire, A Journeyman’s Tale (think this might have been mentioned before but can’t find it) by Eric Crook. “IN A modest house in Swindon, an 86-year-old man formulates exquisitely-detailed theories that turn conventional Wiltshire archaeology on its head. “If retired builder Eric Crook is right – and his belief that he’s right is unshakeable – the remains of a neolithic princess have lain deep beneath Silbury Hill for more than 4,000 years.” More here - http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/9107944.The_mystery_at_Silbury_Hill__deepens/
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tjj 3606 posts |
Jun 27, 2011, 15:57
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Littlestone wrote: Published in 2008 Wiltshire, A Journeyman’s Tale (think this might have been mentioned before but can’t find it) by Eric Crook. “IN A modest house in Swindon, an 86-year-old man formulates exquisitely-detailed theories that turn conventional Wiltshire archaeology on its head. “If retired builder Eric Crook is right – and his belief that he’s right is unshakeable – the remains of a neolithic princess have lain deep beneath Silbury Hill for more than 4,000 years.” More here - http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/9107944.The_mystery_at_Silbury_Hill__deepens/ I'm a bit surprised the local paper is running a story on this book as it was published a while ago. I borrowed it from the library a couple of years back and returned it quite soon after - preferring to go with the type of 'conventional Wiltshire archaeology' that people like Jim Leary write about.
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moss 2897 posts |
Edited Jul 04, 2011, 09:13
Jul 04, 2011, 08:12
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I bought this yesterday as secondhand, (£3.50) the price at £20 is a bit prohibitive otherwise. The photos are very good, the thesis of the sexuality of stones is explored, to me at least a well worn theme, and the emphasis is on the priapic of standing stones.. But she has read Julian Cope, Aubrey Burl, Richard Bradley and Michael Dame. The authors spent three years hunting out 'Britain's sexually inspired sites' not all of them stones of course. It's coffee book style but fascinating, the stone phallus found at Knowth is something I hadn't seen before, it is an object rather than a symbol on stone, (Dame's mentions similar stuff found round Windmill Hill I think and of course Grimes Graves). Not sure I follow the trend of thought that says rockart is all sexually inspired but given than it was found with all those beautifully decorated stones http://www.megalithicireland.com/Knowth.htm..... symbolism can mean many things. Birth, death and sex tied up with fertility, renewal and rebirth are always ongoing topics; from the 'womb to the tomb' is one to think on about here I found Cuween Hill tomb which should http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/206/fairy_knowe.html properly be called tomb of the dogs for the 24 dog skulls there, and Kilmartin valley which I am reading up at the moment and which I want to visit in the future, has the Dunchraigraig Cairn on TMA and this video gives some idea of the smallness of the chamber inside.... http://stonetapes.blogspot.com/2009/09/dunchraigaig-cairn-kilmartin-scotland.html JC describes it thus 'a mother slit in the side of the big cairn belly' http://www.amazon.co.uk/Landscapes-Desire-Catherine-Tuck/dp/0750929391 So there I was going to be miffy about this book, but in reality have been on a virtual mind exploration of both TMA and the book - so yes its a good book ;)
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Littlestone 5386 posts |
Jul 05, 2011, 09:22
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Old England. A Pictorial Museum by Charles Knight (1791–1873). Page 9 has two illustrations of Avebury ‘restored’ and two plans, one showing Silbury. Page 10 discusses Avebury and the surrounding area, with references to Aubrey, Stukeley and Colt Hoar.
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thesweetcheat 6216 posts |
Jul 06, 2011, 21:58
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Glyn Daniel: "The Prehistoric Chamber Tombs of England and Wales" (1950 Cambridge University Press) Nice hardback book, although rather out of date it contains an excellent descriptive "inventory" and some nice black and white photographic plates and lots of plans. 256pp.
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thesweetcheat 6216 posts |
Jul 09, 2011, 23:03
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- Robert Harris (2003 Sigma Leisure). Useful book of 26 walks (distances between 4 and 10 miles) to some of Wales' best known prehistoric sites, as well as some more obscure ones. Includes route details, but needs to be accompanied by an OS map to be useful in that respect. Nicely written by an enthusiast, with lots of black and white lines drawings. 181pp.
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Littlestone 5386 posts |
Jul 14, 2011, 10:47
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The Beginnings of Japanese Art by Namio Egami. Features the Nanakado Stone ‘Sundial’ in Towada, Akita Prefecture (late Jomon Period) which was buried under volcanic ash for some 2,000 years before being excavated.
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thesweetcheat 6216 posts |
Aug 12, 2011, 19:08
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Sacred Circles: Prehistoric Stone Circles of Wales - Julian Heath (2010, Llygad Gwalch) Useful general introduction to Welsh stone circles, featuring 34 of the stone circles in the country, from the well-known ones like Cerrig Duon, Penmaenmawr, etc to some very obscure ones - including Llorfa, which I'd never even heard of. It aims to "encourage you not just to read about the circles, but to go out and visit them". Sounds like a winning statement of intent. 136pp and several pages of colour photos, a neat gazeteer including the author's own experiences, perhaps rather too honest in places: Crugiau Bach - This circle is located above the village of Llanwrthwl, near Llandrindod Wells, but I am not sure how one reaches it. Also includes a decent bibliography for further exploration and namechecks a few websites - including this one! All in all well worth picking up. Bought new for £7.50 in Cardiff today.
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