Julian Cope presents Head Heritage | The Modern Antiquarian Forum | Conclusions...Stone circles, are we learning much?

tiompan

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Re: Conclusions...Stone circles, are we learning much?

Nov 05, 2013, 11:50

Evergreen Dazed wrote:

tiompan wrote:

Evergreen Dazed wrote:

tiompan wrote:

Evergreen Dazed wrote:

Something we have learned only relatively recently, and which seems hugely important regarding what we know about stone circles, is the geophysical survey at Stanton Drew. If those pits held posts, they were huge, and there were 9 rings of them!
Similarities with Woodhenge & Durrington, but what does it mean? Did the majority of circles start as wooden structures? Have surveys of that type been carried out at any other large circles?

Pits were also found in the centre of the NE circle at Stanton Drew, but seem to have been interpreted as possible further stone pits rather than posts.

Alex Gibson reckoned that when timber circles are a feature of a developing monument they are usually earlier , not always the case , but a useful heuristic .
Other stone circles with earlier TC 's , Sanctuary ,Moncrieffe ,Machrie Moor .Henges seem to have as many TC's as Sc's .
Worth mentioning that grooved ware is often associated with TC 's .

V interesting re grooved ware.
I seem to have read over the years, about a number of different sites, stones 'ended' the activity, almost like the final act at the end of a sites life. A 'sealing off' for want of a better expression. Nice and tidy re the obvious wood/life, stone/death thing but i doubt it was ever that simple!

E.D. , it's around 30% iirc re.the GW ,but mostly henges .

Yes a bit too convenient , but the more recent "decomissioning " info has been a fine addition to "think with " .

'decomissioning', that was the word I was looking for!
I don't know if you know or can access the info, but is the grooved ware restricted to pits at henge sites?

It varies but not always pits e.g. Woodhenge :post holes D-F ( not A-C ) also below bank and in ditch .
Mt Pleasant :stone hole and ditch Durrington: in pits but also midden and other contexts .Ballynahatty : pits ,Machrie Moor: refuse pit . Balfarg :ditch
Sarn -Y Bryn -Caled: pit . Another factor is that the greater the number of posts the more likely GW is to be associated , as opposed to Peterborough ware .

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Re: Conclusions...Stone circles, are we learning much? (Evergreen Dazed)

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Re: Conclusions...Stone circles, are we learning much? (Evergreen Dazed)

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