Andy Burnham's Blog, page 150

Leith Hill Place

A lovely National Trust house but listed here because of Charles Darwin's 'Earthworm Stone' in the grounds. This was one of the sources of the research for Darwin's classic earthworm paper and book which are still cited by archaeologists today. The house also has some recently re-discovered wall paintings from the 1960s which are apparently copies of those at Knossos Palace on the island of Crete. The house is currently closed for winter but the stone should be accessible.

Ffynon Helen

Situated along the Snowdonia Slate Trail that leads from Croesor towards Beddgelert, this well lies quietly within a small wood on the outskirts of the village. Folklore has it that the well is named after Saint Elen, who features in the Mabinogion sagas. She was Romano British and credited with founding churches in the 4th cent.

Cloutie Well

Local uproar as this this ancient Black Isle site has recently been cleaned up by a mystery person, although others accept it was a bit of a mess! We hope that better management will come out of this. More in the comments on our page. As Cloutie wells go this one is (was) superb. Easily seen from the roadside it is something of a tourist attraction. Sadly some people ignore advice to not leave nylon or other non-degradable materials and so the site had become a bit of an eyesore. It is though a fascinating place to visit and has a definite ambience. The spring runs into a cistern and away under the road.

Newark Earthworks

An important article linked from our comments which includes evidence of how domestication of local plants in the rich Ohio Valley helped to make the complex possible, allowing it to be a gathering place, with people travelling from far flung parts the continent, and the prominence of the Newark complex as compared to other mound complexes.. Many people would not anticipate a trip to Ohio in early March with anything like delight, but we were excited and, when the business of the trip was taken care of, we drove the few miles to Newark. The park was closed, but many tracks in the snow showed us that thoughtful guests are not altogether unwelcome, so we went on in. The great henge circle we entered is 400 meters in diameter - the great pyramid of Cheops would fit easily with room to spare - with walls around 5 meters high where they part for the single entrance, decreasing somewhat toward the far side. A deep ditch, a little less deep than the walls are high, runs around the inside of the circle, and a low, four-pronged, broken-cross-shaped (some say eagle-shaped) mound stands in the center.

Laconi Menhir Museum

Top photo: Perda Iddocca VI. Male stela with symbol in shape of bull’s head and double dagger. Trachyte. 2,800-2,500 BC. Italy, Sardinia, Laconi. Photo taken November 2021 at the Humans Carved in stone. Exhibition at the Swiss National Museum Zurich.

Sidyma

A Lycian settlement in Muğla Province, Turkey, with ruins of tombs and temples scattered around a small village and in the fields.

Maen Castle

This small rocky headland is the site of one of the oldest cliff castles on the Cornish coast. On the landward side it was defended by a substantial stone wall, ditch and counter-scarp bank. The ditch is deepest on the northern side of the headland, where the counter-scarp bank is revetted with large granite blocks. The stonework of the narrow entrance still stands, and just outside the gateway lies one of the former gate jambs.

Musée Archéologique de Nîmes

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Museum in Gard with the largest collection of Statue Menhirs in Languedoc Rousillon. Photo left: a human-shaped stela with T-shaped face, arms, neck-ornament and belt. Carved in limestone ~3200-2400 BC, France, Occitania, Montagnac. Loaned for the Humans Carved in stone Exhibition at the Swiss National Museum.

Schweizerisches Nationalmuseum

The Schweizerisches Nationalmuseum (National Museum Zurich) has an excellent collection of objects dating from early prehistoric times. Megalithic89 writes: Recently they had an exhibition of statue menhirs: Humans, carved in stone. The exhibition has now closed but you can still tour the virtual version. A must see, perfectly filmed. More details in the comments on our page.

Cat Stones

In this location on Rishford Moor, between Rochdale and Huddersfield there seem to be a number of circular pits lined with stones in a line along the hillside with other outlier stones around. Can anyone offer more information? In the reference below Goddard says they are unexcavated round barrows and may represent the site of the grave of a fallen Celtic chieftain; and that Bronze Age and neolithic tools and arrowheads have been found.