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Stonehenge TV programme
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Monganaut
Monganaut
2375 posts

Re: Stonehenge teeming with chapels and shrines
Sep 12, 2014, 01:36
Cheers for the link, pity about lack of pics on online version, still, interesting read.

"The rituals included exposure of the dead bodies, and defleshing on a large forecourt," said Wolfgang Neuber, at the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute. The house was later covered in chalk and finally became a curious white landmark."

When I did an archaeology A level many many moons ago, I seem to recall what later became timber lined long barrows being referred to as Long Mortuary Enclosures. Defleshing and excarnation took place for quite some years before they were sealed up, often being burned to the ground before being covered with earth. Seem to recall it was Fussell's Lodge that was the study subject for that particular practice, but don't quote me on that as I may have miss remembered. I know we studied Fussell's Lodge at some point,that's fer sure! Not sure if the terminology has changed in recent times and Long MOrtuary Enclosures are just referred to as long barrows nowadays?

Nice google extract from Tim Darvill's great book, Prehistoric Britain From The Air....

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ZPC_Bd7reVcC&pg=PA157&lpg=PA157&dq=Fussell%27s+lodge+long+mortuary+enclosure&source=bl&ots=RW973GxwVZ&sig=VH1Me6YoY0gTrxCj7p2-igAJItI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=_zoSVPCtHM7waL72gsgD&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=Fussell's%20lodge%20long%20mortuary%20enclosure&f=false

Old excavation report of Long Mortuary Enclosure in Scotland....

http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archiveDS/archiveDownload?t=arch-352-1/dissemination/pdf/vol_121/121_027_044.pdf


As to programme, enjoyed it for what it was, it's only ever gonna be a generalist kinda thang and never goes into the detail I'd like, but hey, at least it's on. Kinda got sick of all the bloody CGI bollox, but I guess that's how they grab the less interested punters attention.

I'm with Sactuary on the Grimes Grave bit, doesn't all have to be bloody ritual. Much more inclined to think that with 450 odd shafts there must have been a degree of forced labour and slavery. People don't change that much in 5 thousand odd years, the strong will always dominate the weak when it's for 'financial' gain. Mind you, I suppose you could stretch that point to the Cursus and indeed any of the ancient large scale monument building projects.
Looking forward to next week, see what else they dig up (no pun intended :)

Still wish they'd excavate a couple more shafts at Grimes Graves, I'm sure they're all similar in some way or other, but I'm sure there would be a few surprises too. Statistically, one shaft isn't necessarily indicative of what you may discover in others.

Also, be nice if they could get funding to do something similar around Avebury/ Silbury/ West Kennet region, bet there's loads to discover under the sod there.
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