Julian Cope presents Head Heritage | The Modern Antiquarian Forum | A clean slate? (or should that be granite?)

Sanctuary

4670 posts

Edited May 04, 2011, 19:34

Re: A clean slate? (or should that be granite?)

May 04, 2011, 17:06

Resonox wrote:

Sanctuary wrote:

Resonox wrote:

Is there any evidence on the flora of the area around the time the dolmen was erected...what if it had originally been surrounded by trees(in a copse for example)???

Local author Philip Henwood (Prehistoric East Cornwall 2007) says:-

At the time of its construction, probably in the first half of the fourth millennium, Trethevy Quoit would have been surrounded by forest and a clearing made for its erection. To make it a more impressive focal point, avenues were most likely cut through the forest, terminating at the site.

I would go along with most of that regarding the tree cover but the site area itself may have been devoid of substantial trees because of the thin layer of topsoil present. But who really knows?

Isn't it the case that the reason there is no or poor topsoil because the felling of trees without replanting allowed the topsoil to be washed away as is the case in many of the heathlands and commons especially in the south of England(Reigate and Frenches Commons being prime examples)? Whether this felling happened pre or post the quoit's erection....I have no idea....(over to an expert)

It's a difficult one here because the dolmen sits on a small hilltop (made to look somewhat taller by the mound around the base which from a distance it appears to rest on but in fact is some 18" to 24" beneath it, the mound holding in the base of the stones which appear to sit directly onto bedrock at ground level. It may be of course that IF the dolmen was completely covered with a mound as many believe plus the possibility of earth ramp(s) being used to haul the capstone up, then of course the earth would have been cleared from the whole area to use for those purposes. Where's that time machine when you need it :D

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Re: A clean slate? (or should that be granite?) (Resonox)

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