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The Modern Antiquarian Forum » Wiltshire » ...All Cannings Long Barrow... |
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Rhiannon 5291 posts |
Mar 25, 2014, 16:51
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I know what you mean. And I don't like to sound an utter cynic, because it'll probably appeal to certain people, and that sort of person will be jolly happy to be popped in a 21st century pseudo longbarrow for eternity, and good luck to them. I mean it's not like you get much of a choice in the end. Mr Rh and I have plans to feed the vultures at the local safari park. But the management probably aren't going to go for it. So it's nice to get a shelf (very neat and I thought a bit ikeaesque) in the new barrow, it's something different from the usual. And that farmer / builder is happy to oblige and happy to take their money. And fair enough. Happy all round. Go for it. But I can see your point, that it's not really about burying a community of people with shared beliefs and ideas (beyond 'ooh I'd like to be buried in a long barrow') wot is what would have been important to the original long-barrow users. And so your reasons for wanting to be in there seem a bit more flimsy because you don't know what the original views of the longbarrow internees were? Maybe it's like a modern egyptian wanting to be popped into a pyramid (although we know a bit more about ancient egypt because of hieroglyphics). It's going to be a kind of fringe choice. A bit like the vultures. aah let them get on with it I guess.
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Evergreen Dazed 1881 posts |
Mar 25, 2014, 17:14
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Aye, i've absolutely nothing against anybody wanting to do it, if the thought of it makes them happy and they feel its right for them then good luck to them, absolutely. But, yes, it seems whatever was going on at, say, West Kennet in 3600BC was pretty specific and those bones being in the chambers could represent a hundred thousand different things in terms of culture. And like you've said it may very well be that it was a community with shared beliefs etc, and they would have had very clear ideas about (I imagine) what they 'were at'. Buuuuut.. a thought has just struck me. (2 in 1 day, christ, oops, no i mean god, oops, no, i mean blimey). I suppose later cultures DID bury their dead at older sites.. Buuuut.. they were actual special sites with a history. The beaker folk (lovely drinking vessels they had) didn't construct new Long Barrows on new sites.. they re-used the old ones. Oofph, i'm getting confused now. I think my point is, a continuation of a tradition is 'acceptable' but this is a new thing acting as if its a continuation. I think. Am i right?
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scubi63 463 posts |
Mar 25, 2014, 19:38
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Everybody will have their own thoughts obviously but I quite like the idea really if nothing more than because I quite like the thought of my remains spending their final days in such a construct. It is a bit of a gimmick but then does there have to be any meaning or connection to the past behind it? Ok they're building it for the profit but then they certainly aren't going to do it just to break even are they? I suppose I woud draw the line if it became too commercialised and everybody was building them so they became common place. But I suppose that is Just my simple outlook on life, live and let live and all that. :)
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Evergreen Dazed 1881 posts |
Mar 26, 2014, 11:12
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scubi63 wrote: It is a bit of a gimmick but then does there have to be any meaning or connection to the past behind it? Well, I suppose thats my point too in a way. If there is no meaning or connection to the past, why build a copy of a Neolithic long barrow? Why would somebody long to be interred in a structure that has no meaning beyond 'it looks vaguely like a long barrow'? I must stress I really do mean no offence at all to those involved or interested, and it is horses for courses, live & let live etc but, I don't know, as much as I believe in peoples right to choose I also feel in someway a bit sad about this, its a bit distasteful/cheapening in some way. I'm probably being too over sensitive about it.
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tjj 3606 posts |
Edited Mar 28, 2014, 19:54
Mar 27, 2014, 23:15
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A case of 'live and let die' perhaps. I've just been looking at the BBC Wiltshire News Link posted by Tom Watts - it is an interesting experiment though the large stones don't look like sarsen so it is always only going look like a replica long barrow. May go along when its finished and take a look.
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tomwatts 376 posts |
Mar 28, 2014, 07:04
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...Tim Daw, the farmer who's land the long barrow is on, is well known in Wiltshire archaeology circles, he cares a lot about the history around him. If the long barrow is a purely money making scheme, he could increase the charges ten-fold and it'd still be a bargain...
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Rhiannon 5291 posts |
Mar 28, 2014, 08:18
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it's certainly filling a niche
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moss 2897 posts |
Mar 28, 2014, 10:32
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Rhiannon wrote: it's certainly filling a niche ;) still cheaper to have one's ashes scattered to the wind!
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Evergreen Dazed 1881 posts |
Mar 28, 2014, 12:43
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Rhiannon wrote: it's certainly filling a niche :)
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tjj 3606 posts |
Edited Apr 03, 2014, 20:50
Apr 03, 2014, 20:49
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tjj wrote: A case of 'live and let die' perhaps. I've just been looking at the BBC Wiltshire News Link posted by Tom Watts - it is an interesting experiment though the large stones don't look like sarsen so it is always only going look like a replica long barrow. An 'oops!' from me - they are sarsens. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plCo9nlEt_Q
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