tjj
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Aubrey Burl RIP
Apr 15, 2020, 19:55
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It was posted on Facebook earlier today on The Prehistoric Society page (also by Geoff Watson aka Harestonedown) that Aubrey Burl died on 8th April. He was either 93 or 94, according to different sources, and I understand his death was not related to Covid 19.
This resonated with me as earlier this year (seems like light years ago) got hold of a pristine hardback copy of his book The Stone Circles of the British Isles for £10 in a secondhand book shop. Had been reading up on the stone circles of the South-West Peninsula of Britain as planned to head back there at the end of May. All cancelled now of course but the book remains, as do the stone circles, hopefully to be visited again next year.
I was late coming to Aubrey Burl as my big influences were Julian Cope and The Modern Antiquarian along various contributors to this forum, one or two of whom have also died. Life is transient but the stone circles stand on silently with their secrets - maybe that was the point of them.
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GLADMAN
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Re: Aubrey Burl RIP
Apr 15, 2020, 20:40
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Sad to hear of his death, but guess he had a great innings. So one can only celebrate the life of such a, well, celebrated archaeologist. His books were the first I came across that seemed to possess a sardonic wit in lieu of the standard, dusty academic reporting of statistics, damned statistics.... he seemed to be explaining things to you, as opposed to talking down to you. I'd be surprised if there is a serious megalithic punter out there who hasn't used his seminal stone circle guide at some point or other in their life. Mine is quite literally falling apart. Enough said. And, of course, he gave Cope his seal of approval. Always willing to pass on the baton.
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thesweetcheat
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Re: Aubrey Burl RIP
Apr 15, 2020, 21:17
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Oh no. Author of my very favourite non-fiction book (sorry JC, you're number 2). An absolute inspiration, RIP indeed.
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Zariadris
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Edited Apr 15, 2020, 22:05
Re: Aubrey Burl RIP
Apr 15, 2020, 21:54
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The world seems much emptier all of a sudden, and the stones more silent.
What a wonderful researcher, writer, thinker, and indeed, poet. I love the way he respected the megalithomaniac's intrinsic need to speculate; to imagine. To bring these stones back to life. He was intrepid in bringing ethnography into the mix, notably his observations of American Indian ritual in Prehistoric Avebury which were thought provoking and fascinating, and that wonderful bit of speculation on the moon being the house of the dead in his slender 'Prehistoric Astronomy & Ritual', and so many wonderful, provocative ideas in Stone Circles of Britain and of course, Rites of the Gods. Indeed, his imagination was all the more compelling as it was so firmly grounded in science. I love this quote from Rites of the Gods:
"Archaeologists can tell from which mountain source a stone axe came, what minerals there are in a bronze bracelet, how old a dug-out canoe is. They can work out the probable cereal-yield from the fields of a Late Bronze Age farm. These are objective matters. But the language, laws, morals, religion of dead societies are different. They belong to the minds of man. Unless they were written down, and even then only if they were recorded accurately, we shall find it hard to recapture them."
Indeed.
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thesweetcheat
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Re: Aubrey Burl RIP
Apr 15, 2020, 22:24
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Thank you for that lovely tribute.
Burl's books, especially the paperback Guide to the Stone Circles, changed my life. I'm still planning trips and holidays from it two decades after I first got it. His Avebury book directly inspired my approach to multiple visits exploring the wider landscape, with the henge as destination rather than sole objective.
I must re-read Rites of the Gods, thanks for the prompt.
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texlahoma
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Re: Aubrey Burl RIP
Apr 16, 2020, 10:33
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He is a great inspiration. I first read Aubrey because of The Modern antiquarioan, and so books by Aubrey Burl began to multiply on my bookshelf. They travelled well and are in still pretty good shape, despite various car boot and rucksack wear and exposure all manner of weather conditions. a great writer that has left us numerous gifts.
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ryaner
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Re: Aubrey Burl RIP
Apr 16, 2020, 12:13
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Another hero gone. Very sad.
A lot of the authors on our shelves are passing: https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/acclaimed-connemara-writer-tim-robinson-dies-at-85-from-coronavirus-1.4220154
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Zariadris
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Edited Apr 16, 2020, 13:21
Re: Aubrey Burl RIP
Apr 16, 2020, 13:20
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Cheers man. I know I'm speaking for each one of us, as all of us are.
Your comment about how Burl changed your perspective about re-visiting sites is key. Wish I were in the UK. Would be lovely to visit Avebury - or any site - with a group of fellow modern antiquarians (or antique mods, as I describe myself these days) for a kind of fan commemoration. A celebration of his whole trip. I'm sure many of you will be doing just that. Keep me in mind!
Just want to add that for some reason Julian's mention of Burl in some posts years ago, around the time of Julian's Avebury lecture in London, made a real impression on me. Burl endeared himself all the more to me in the way he was so cool to Julian. I was struck by how open-minded, generous and accepting he was, with none of that snobbish vibe some specialists have. A gentleman and a scholar, to be sure.
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tjj
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Edited Apr 16, 2020, 15:24
Re: Aubrey Burl RIP
Apr 16, 2020, 15:21
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ryaner wrote:
I hadn't heard of Tim Robinson but have just been reading about him
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/tim-robinson-created-a-unique-ecological-chronicle-of-ireland-1.4225144
I too have fallen in love with Wild Atlantic Way over the past decade - starting at the Beara Peninsula and later Donegal with bits in between.
It has been heartening to read the tributes to Aubrey Burl- though to some extent I wish someone else had started this topic. I know a few people who have actually met him and I'm afraid I have no such claim having taken most of my inspiration from the people (past and present) who have contributed to this forum/website. Having said that Burl's work and books live on and I intend to add to the one I already have - current situation allowing of course.
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Zariadris
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Re: Aubrey Burl RIP
Apr 16, 2020, 15:44
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Thanks tjj for bringing this news to our attention. I'm not sure when I would have heard of it otherwise, most likely long after the fact. I'm most grateful to you.
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