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The Modern Antiquarian Forum » Rectangular holes in stones |
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Rhiannon 5291 posts |
May 26, 2009, 22:28
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I was watching 'Standing with Stones' at the weekend, and in it Mr Soskin was going on about the mysterious long slot holes in the Stones he was looking at. Somewhere or other. Regrettably I've now sent back the dvd (it was rented) and I can't tell you the details... but I'm sure some of you will know what I'm talking about. THEN there I am watching something about Hadrian's wall and what should appear but slotted stones - and the explanation that these were 'Lewis Holes' like this one http://www.flickr.com/photos/vittoriosa/423137849/ for sticking a 'Lewis' in and lifting stones thus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chain-linked_Lewis So how about that. What an ingenious idea. Of course any stonemason would probably recognise the holes immediately. I'm not sure you could do it with anything but metal though could you. So that suggests Not Prehistoric... and so, some kind of implication for whatever the stones Mr Soskin was looking at.
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scubi63 463 posts |
May 26, 2009, 23:59
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Rhiannon wrote: I'm not sure you could do it with anything but metal though could you. So that suggests Not Prehistoric... and so, some kind of implication for whatever the stones Mr Soskin was looking at. I don't know if any evidence has been found using other softer metals as Lewis 'irons' or even pieces of other shaped stone but I can not see why not. I too watch the programme and remembered using a similar method when making a type of mortise and tenon joint in wood at school. In this case a wedge is used to splay the tenon apart as it is pushed into the mortise giving a very tight joint that did not require pining or glueing. This then made me wonder if this method could have been used fix together the many wooden structures instead of wooden pins or rope.....just a thought :o)
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Rhiannon 5291 posts |
May 29, 2009, 12:06
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Mortise and tenon joins are very strong aren't they? That's a good connection. It's so annoying that so much about the past is gone to dust - it's like trying to reconstruct my internet surfing from a squashed computer chip 4000 years hence. So little remains of everyday things like houses and clothes and bags and dinners and so on. Look, surely someone remembers which stones were in the dvd. It did occur to me that sometimes holes like that are natural (stones are pretty holey in these parts) but close up you'd think you'd tell the difference. As usual I'm waffling about things I haven't seen (hmm sounds horribly familiar) but the way Mr Soskin was talking it sounded like he was familiar with these sorts of holes from stones all over the place?
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moss 2897 posts |
May 29, 2009, 12:23
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"I was watching 'Standing with Stones' at the weekend, and in it Mr Soskin was going on about the mysterious long slot holes in the Stones he was looking at. Somewhere or other. " I've got the DVD Rhiannon, it was'nt Wales or the South West which I looked at yesterday, so it must have been one of the other chapters, will check for you.. that roman one was a very skinny slot, you're sure they (neolithic/bronze) would have been capable of creating a deep thin slot?. Actually I got sidetracked by the outtakes, they are incredibly funny;
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scubi63 463 posts |
May 29, 2009, 12:38
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Rhiannon wrote: Look, surely someone remembers which stones were in the dvd. I thought it was Fernworthy on Dartmoor. I will check later when I get home if nobody else comes up with the correct answer. :o) Chris
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goffik 3926 posts |
May 29, 2009, 12:39
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I'm having trouble finding time/managing to keep my eyes open long enough to get round to watching the DVD! Started watching it and love it so far... Not seen the holed stones yet. Can't wait for the out-takes! Thought I'd bring these up, even though the holes are different, but are still rectangular. And possibly not prehistoric. Erm... I just thought of them when I saw "rectangular holes" mentioned! :) G x
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moss 2897 posts |
May 29, 2009, 12:44
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Your're right it is Fernworthy, but it comes up under Ireland - Castleruddery stone circle, and Rupert Soskins mentions Fernworthy.. http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/1257/castleruddery.html The slots and drilled holes on this site are the ones he was looking at, one stone seemed to have been drilled to split, (equally spaced drilling holes) but the slotted ones seemed different....
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Rhiannon 5291 posts |
May 29, 2009, 14:05
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aah. Thanks to your Fernworthy tipoff I have spotted this (scroll down to page 10) http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/au-archpt4.pdf which is about 'tare and feather' and 'wedge and groove' methods of splitting stones on Dartmoor. That looks more like it doesn't it.
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bawn79 864 posts |
May 29, 2009, 14:36
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moss wrote: Your're right it is Fernworthy, but it comes up under Ireland - Castleruddery stone circle, and Rupert Soskins mentions Fernworthy.. http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/1257/castleruddery.html The slots and drilled holes on this site are the ones he was looking at, one stone seemed to have been drilled to split, (equally spaced drilling holes) but the slotted ones seemed different.... Another site in Kildare that shows the same kind of markings, they are know in folklore as the paw prints of the hound of cuchailainn. http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/8194/brewells_hill.html I know castles in ireland often have gaps left in the stonework where timber poles could be inserted and turned in scaffolding. Just a thought I had when you mentioned rectangular holes in stones.
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moss 2897 posts |
May 29, 2009, 14:42
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Rhiannon wrote: aah. Thanks to your Fernworthy tipoff I have spotted this (scroll down to page 10) http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/au-archpt4.pdf which is about 'tare and feather' and 'wedge and groove' methods of splitting stones on Dartmoor. That looks more like it doesn't it. Yes, and the rectangular row of four slots, is the way you hung posts between the stone (maybe megaliths) gateposts. The slot should be deeper on one side (can be U shaped) so that you can wangle the post in on the other side/stone which should have shallow holes!... There's a whole hobby out there of collecting photos of stone gateposts with rectangular holes - bet know one has even thought about it ;)
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