Head To Head
Log In
Register
The Modern Antiquarian Forum »
Drill holes
Log In to post a reply

10 messages
Topic View: Flat | Threaded
StoneGloves
StoneGloves
1149 posts

Re: Drill holes
Mar 11, 2011, 11:24
'Prehistoric masonry marks' - what does that mean exactly?

Often these holes aren't perfectly round - which excludes them from modern methods of drilling. If they were laboriously made with pieces of flint and finished with rough sand stuck to wood with tar or tree resin then that would represent an enormous amount of effort, so their contemporary significance must have been great. Usually they are upward facing so might have held a liquid for a symbolic purpose. Maybe just rain water which would then have part evaporated, part percolated through the rock, perhaps recalling the passage of time. There has been speculation that the holes may have held posts, again for a symbolic context, but they don't seem deep enough for this use, nor are damaged ones found, as would be the case if they held flagpoles. Any easy way to determine their ancient provenance is to simply measure the diameter and to express this in megalithic inches - if it is an integer then you can be pretty sure they are ancient. My problem is with the holes which are artificial, but oval or boat-shaped - just what are they about?

The Modern Antiquarian Forum Index