Andy Burnham's Blog, page 113

Castel (Guernsey)

An amazing anthropomorphic figure of a woman sitting in Castel churchyard on Guernsey, seen here with Beltane flowers. It's very difficult not to think of this and the La Gran`mere du Chimquiere nearby as neolithic 'goddess' figures. Made of granite, the 1.65m slab was recovered from beneath the floor of the chancel in the church. Carved crown, necklace and breasts can be made out, perhaps one breast was chipped off to deface the monument in Christian times when it was buried.

Rano Raraku

New Easter Island moai statue discovered in volcano crater. This is the site on Easter Island where most on the Statues (Moai) were carved. The moai were carved (usually facing upwards) and the undermined until free from the rock. Once released, they were stood on the crater side ready for the carving of the backs which often had elaborate designs. It is generally agreed that the upright statues here were awaiting final carving of the back and then eventual transportatation to the Ahus which are mainly around the coast. The upright moai are on both the outside and inside of the crater walls.

Penrith Museum

The Penrith Museum and Tourist Information Centre, are housed in the former Robinson's School, an Elizabethan building which was used as a school until the early 1970's. The building is an ideal starting point for those wishing to explore thi Cumbrian town. Top photo: The Norse cross base, tucked away in a small corner of the museum by their display of rock art stones.

Taiyō Kōen park

A hyper-dazzling amusement park in the vast property of a support facility for the elderly which spreads over two valleys on the outskirts of Himeji city, Japan. The stone monuments area contains many replicas of stone monuments from all over the world and the inner most part, nearly 1 km away from the entrance of the area, is almost like an illusionary transferred Chinese city. Taiyō Kōen means Sun Park.

Großsteingrab Damerow

A north-south-facing barrow 14 m long and 8 m wide in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania which has sadly been cut in half by a road. The barrow is still 0.5 m high and contains an east-west-oriented burial chamber, which is an extended dolmen. In a report from the "Baltischen Studien" in 1854, a cylindrical amber pearl, two knives and two chisels made of flint were found "in a grave at Damerow near Pasewalk". Ewald Schuldt identifies the site with this grave.

Pendeen Fogou

An Iron Age fogou, the original 'creep' entrance is far smaller than the modern entrance and possibly served to protect crops or people if the settlement was attacked. Situated on Manor Farm, Pendeen. Permission should be sought to visit but they are welcoming people..

Ølstrup Langdysse 1

Langdysse (Long Barrow) in Ringkøbing. One of the more difficult to find barrows at Ølstrup, however it does have an information board (pictured on page). Close by are two more 3 long barrows and 1 a round barrow / dolmen. See the nearby sites list on our page for more.

Sayler Story Mound

Artificial Mound in Sayler Park, Ohio. I was unable to locate this site in 2021. It appeared to be extant as of 2010 (see photo). The location coordinates from Wikipedia now plot out to a playing field behind Sayler Park School. But this area is now leveled or at best a slight rise. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) but with no address information. Photo: Wikipedia, Creative Commons

Roel Farm Bowl Barrow

A bowl barrow located on the crest of a hill in the Cotswolds, 760m south of Roel Farm. The farmer was very helpful and a nice guy with it, he sent me in the right direction. The barrow mound measures 36m in diameter and is 0.3m high. Surrounding the mound is a ditch from which material was excavated during the construction of the barrow.

Necrópolis Protohistòrica Del Coll del Moro

Dating from the 9th-4th centuries BCE and built by small nomadic groups from the late bronze age Urnfield Culture and later. There are four types of burial mounds - see the photo captions. As the name suggests they cremated their dead with personal belongings and put the ashes in urns. The site is well documented in 3 languages, Spanish French and English and used by people who lived in the area of the IIberian Age who had some livestock and crops. It is situated on a high hilltop overlooking the valley.