Andy Burnham's Blog, page 89

Holm of Papa Westray South

Video Talks from the Tombs of the Isles project: Rock Art in the Holm of Papa Westray South with Dr Antonia Thomas and Death and burial in Neolithic Orkney with Prof Colin Richards, details in the comments. The Holm of Papa Westray, is a very small uninhabited island and can be visited from neighbouring Papa Westray, a few hundred feet west. One of two cairns on the island, this one a Maeshowe type, with a chamber over 65 feet long with twelve side cells, two of which are double and all of which are intact. On the southeast wall of the main chamber there are several carvings of dots, circles and other shapes.

Les Adams Cist

The possible remains of F.C. Lukis' "lost" Guernsey cist, that he excavated in the mid 1800s. He reported some finds, but the exact location has been lost for over 100 years. If this is indeed the same site, it consists of a huge single capstone lying on a hill, with many orthostats lying nearby in the walls, of the favoured high quartz content granite by the builders.

La Sergenté

La Sergente passage grave in Jersey. dates from approx 4500 BC and is the only corbelled passage grave known from the Channel Islands, and possibly the earliest dolmen on the island. The main chamber is about 12 feet across, it was excavated in 1923.

Neshaugen-Sør

Several rock art panels have been found in Lødingen kommune just the last years from 2020. They have all been found by local history enthusiasts and they are all of the grinded North Norway hunter-gatherer type of rock art believed to be from older stone age. The outline of a presumed bear figure is grinded into the rock. Fore and hind legs, belly line and back line are visible (personally I think it looks more like a elk figure).

Andy B's Old Stones Talk at Real Magic Books Wendover Bucks, Sunday 8th October

Stone Club are hosting an afternoon at Real Magic Books in Wendover at the foot of the Chiltern Hills near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire. 4 to 6pm, Sunday 8th October. Speaking in person are Andy Burnham, Megalithic Portal founder and author Justin Robertson.

Hadrian's Wall

A wonderful aerial view of the sycamore tree sadly chopped down by an idiot a few days ago. Hadrian's wall is the largest and most impressive monument built by the Romans in Britain. The wall included at least 16 major forts, 81 smaller milecastle forts and about 160 manned turrets; a substantial defensive ditch and rampart aided the military function.

Glanbrack five stone circle and stone pair

A five stone circle and standing stone pair in the townland of Glanbrack, Co Cork. The circle is incomplete, the axial stone and two stones flanking it survive. The two standing stones are around 1m tall.

Knudsby Langdysse 2

Langdysse (Long Barrow) in Præstø. A 4.5 x 5.5 m square stone chamber which was used as the foundation for a smithy in the 19th Century. Easily accessibly by the side of the road.

Trimontium

A view of the site of the Trimontium Roman Fort complex, named after the three Eildon Hills. It was occupied from c.79AD - 184AD. Trimontium is the site of one of the largest caches of Roman military objects in Britain, found in 117 pits. The Roman Road that became Dere Street passed alongside the fort.

Dowth Hall

Purchase of Dowth estate announced as part of new Irish National Park, including the megalithic tomb discovered close to Dowth Hall. A 5500-year-old passage tomb uncovered in 2018 at Dowth Hall in the heart of the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage site in Co Meath is “the most significant megalithic find in Ireland in the last 50 years”, archaeologists believe. The ancient burial chamber, believed to be about 40m in diameter and half the size of nearby Newgrange, was discovered during archaeological investigations by the agri-technology company Devenish and UCD school of archaeology.