Andy Burnham's Blog, page 110

3rd Stone Issue 25, Spring 1997 for Free Download

Boles Barrow

The recent Boles Barrow dig with Richard Osgood and army veteran volunteers has reportedly found the barrow much better preserved than previously thought. With thanks to Amanda Chadburn for photos from press day, more linked from our page.. A 48 metre long barrow on Salisbury Plain, 4.6 metres high. Excavated in 1801 and later by W Cunnington, in 1864 by J Thurnam and in 1885-6 by W and H Cunnington. The excavations indicated that there was a primary deposit of at least 16 skeletons, on a flint pavement at ground level, with heads and horns of oxen, overlaid by sarsens. Nearby was a block of bluestone in a hollow. Three intrusive and probably Saxon inhumation burials were found.

Vikingeskibsmuseet

The Viking Ship Museum (Danish: Vikingeskibsmuseet) in Roskilde is Denmark's national museum for ships, seafaring and boatbuilding in the prehistoric and medieval period. The main focus of the museum is a permanent exhibition of five original Viking ships excavated nearby in 1962. The Viking Ship Museum also conducts research and education in the fields of maritime history, marine archaeology and experimental archaeology. Various academic conferences are held here and there is a research library in association with the museum.

Out Now: Brittany Stone Stories by Wendy Mewes

A quick look at this fascinating and newly released book. It's packed with Breton culture, history and legends, always encouraging us to explore far beyond what the author describes as the the somewhat 'bland' main Carnac sites. There are not just standing stones - hugely impressive though some of these are, Brittany Stone Stories covers natural ravines and piles of stone (literally chaos!), rocking and ringing stones with so much life you almost have to hold them down.

There are tales of miraculous crossings in stone boats, the odd castle ruin, holy wells and sacred springs (fountaines). As with many books of this type there is folklore aplenty, the Christianisation of stones (of course). Also sacrificial stones, a few modern grave stones and memorials and not forgetting those lost sites which are sadly so common in our sphere of study.

Win a copy of Brittany Stone Stories by Wendy Mewes

A quick look at this fascinating and newly released book. It's packed with Breton culture, history and legends, always encouraging us to explore far beyond what the author describes as the the somewhat 'bland' main Carnac sites. There are not just standing stones - hugely impressive though some of these are, Brittany Stone Stories covers natural ravines and piles of stone (literally chaos!), rocking and ringing stones with so much life you almost have to hold them down.

There are tales of miraculous crossings in stone boats, the odd castle ruin, holy wells and sacred springs (fountaines). As with many books of this type there is folklore aplenty, the Christianisation of stones (of course). Also sacrificial stones, a few modern grave stones and memorials and not forgetting those lost sites which are sadly so common in our sphere of study.

Bjergstedskoven Runddysse 3

A Megalitgrav (Burial Chamber) in Holbæk with five orthostats, one large capstone and a threshold stone. This impressive dolmen sits by itsself in the forest and is an impressive site to see even from a distance with its large capstone. The second stone on the left side has a cleavage groove, which is a relatively recent attempt to reuse the stones for fencing etc. Cleaving the stone failed and it was been left here. During the restoration of the dolmen in 1941 the stone was put in place again.

Castle An Dinas (Penwith)

Castle-an-Dinas, near Nancledra to the north of Penzance, is an ancient hill fort with three rings of defence that go all the the way around this hillfort. There was an inner wall, which you can just see evidence of inside of the hillfort from the tower. There was then a second wall which Rogers Tower - a folly, built 1798 - was built on top of. Beyond this there is a bank. On the North west side of the hillfort there is a further bank and ditch but this is incomplete/unfinished and does not go right around the whole fort.

Rainsborough Camp

Postholes discovered at Rainsborough Camp are suggested to have held a triumphal arch or totem pole. For more see Rites of Passage and the Cultural Life of the Doorway by George Children and George Nash, linked from the comments on our page. Hillfort in Northamptonshire. From SolarMegalith: This bivallate Iron Age hillfort is located SE from Kings Sutton, it covers 2.5 ha. The inner ring of the earthworks is in very good condition with clearly distinguishable rampart and ditch. The outer bank is mostly leveled, while the outer ditch is filled. The original entrance is located at the west.

The Stone Crone

The story of "The Stone Crone" or better to say "Elizabeth" menhir is the story of one remarkable revival. Revival after almost four hundreds years!

Zádvoří II

The Czech Meran is the area roughly around Sedlec-Prčice town in the southern part of central Bohemia. The name "Meran" dates to the 19th century when romanticized ideas compared this landscape to that around South Tyrolean Merano. There are rocky mountains up to 700m high clusters of dense forests, pastures and really rugged and often impenetrable terrain. It is said that some of these hills were ancient sacred places. Even settlement of this area dates to far prehistory. But the most important to me are the stones of Czech Meran. Stones are truly ubiquitous here. Large errant boulders, impressive logan stones and interesting rock outcrops. Some of the stones were erected in a far past and some quite recently. Some natural rock formation could have been used as a sanctum.