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Posted: 10-03-2013 17:12 Post subject:

And how did the Northerners find out about the construction? Never mind the complete lack of TV, radio or internet for communication over long distances, were they even speaking the same language?

Posted: 10-03-2013 18:04 Post subject:

Posted: 20-04-2013 09:44 Post subject:

Stonehenge occupied 5,000 years earlier than previously thought
Stonehenge may have been occupied five thousand years earlier than previously thought, archaeologists claim.
By Nick Collins, Science Correspondent
12:01AM BST 19 Apr 2013

Excavation of a site just a mile from the stone structure provided what researchers claim is the first firm evidence of continuous occupation from as early as 7,500BC.

Earlier evidence had suggested that humans were present at the site, known as Vespasian's Camp, around 7,500BC but there were no signs anyone had lived there until as late as 2,500BC.

By carbon-dating materials found at the site, the archaeologists identified a semi-permanent settlement which was occupied from 7,500 to 4,700BC, with evidence that people were present during every millennium in between.

The people occupying the site would likely have been responsible for erecting the first monument at Stonehenge, the Mesolithic posts, between the 9th and 7th millennia BC.

Instead of being seen as a site which was abandoned by Mesolithic humans and occupied by Neolithic men thousands of years later, Stonehenge should be recognised as a place where one culture merged with the other, researchers said.
The findings will be broadcast in an episode of The Flying Archaeologist on BBC Four on Monday week. [My corrections - ryn]

Dr David Jacques of the Open University, who led the study, said he identified the settlement after deciding to search for evidence around a spring on the site, which he reasoned could have attracted animals.

"My thinking was where you find wild animals, you tend to find people," he said. "What we found was the nearest secure watering hole for animals and people, a type of all year round fresh water source. It’s the nearest one to this place [Stonehenge]. I think it’s pivotal.”

Dr Josh Pollard of the Stonehenge Riverside Project added: “The team have found the community who put the first monument up at Stonehenge.
“The significance of David’s work lies in finding substantial evidence of Mesolithic settlement in the Stonehenge landscape [which was] previously largely lacking, apart from the enigmatic posts, and being able to demonstrate that there were repeated visits to this area from the 9th to the 5th millennia BC."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/10004598/Stonehenge-occupied-5000-years-earlier-than-previously-thought.html

The Flying Archaeologist
Monday 29th April at 8:30pm on BBC Four

The Flying Archaeologist, Episode 1: Stonehenge: The Missing Link: Archaeologist Ben Robinson flies over Wiltshire to uncover sites discovered through aerial phototographs. These have led to new evidence about Stonehenge that explains the reason for its location and how long ago it was occupied

Posted: 12-09-2013 08:20 Post subject:

Stonehenge bone display endorsed by English Heritage governors

A proposal to display human remains at Stonehenge has been endorsed by English Heritage governors, despite a druid's legal challenge.
King Arthur Pendragon has threatened "the biggest protest in Europe" if bones are put on permanent display.
However English Heritage backed the plan for the new visitor centre, saying it was consistent with current UK museum practice.

Last month the druid launched a legal challenge to prevent the display.
He said: "English Heritage has two choices - they can either be world leaders and show the way to the rest of the world, or they can stick with the Victorian idea of ogling at the dead, in which case they would have the biggest protest in Europe because I would be leading it."
Instead he wants fake human remains to be used at the visitor centre, which is part of a £27m project due to finish this year.

English Heritage said the proposal had been carefully considered and there was strong consensus that it must communicate "all the key narratives and archaeological findings" to the public.
Two of the three sets of human remains were excavated more than 50 years ago and the third was uncovered during road improvement works in 2001.
All three sets of remains are more than 4,500 years old.

"If English Heritage was not displaying them, they would remain in the collections of the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum and the Duckworth Collection, University of Cambridge," said a spokesman for the organisation.
"Their presentation, treatment and storage will follow strict guidelines set out by the UK government's Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
"Visitors will be made aware of the display before they enter the exhibition."

Once complete, the new visitor centre will provide information and history about the giant stones.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-24055516

Posted: 14-09-2013 02:05 Post subject: