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rynner2 What a Cad!
Great Old One Joined: 13 Dec 2008 Total posts: 21365 Location: Under the moon Gender: Male |
 Posted: 02-01-2012 21:46 Post subject: |
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This could be the most important find ever from this period:
A History of Ancient Britain - A History of Ancient Britain Special: Orkney's Stone Age
Using 3-D graphics, Neil Oliver explores a newly-discovered 5,000-year-old temple on Orkney which is opening new windows onto the beliefs of Neolithic people.
Neil Oliver explores a newly-discovered 5,000-year-old temple on Orkney. Built 500 years before the iconic monument of Stonehenge, the temple is opening new windows onto the beliefs of Neolithic people, turning the map of ancient Britain upside down.
This is a vast site of undisturbed archaeology, set within one of the most important ancient landscapes in the world. Already the site is revealing a series of incredible finds including the first ever discovery of Neolithic painted wall decorations, and even the pigments and paint pots used by Stone Age artists.
All the new archaeological evidence, and the wonders of special effects, has now been used to create a 3-D world of the entire temple, allowing Neil to walk inside in a bid to understand just how it might have been used.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01971gm/A_History_of_Ancient_Britain_A_History_of_Ancient_Britain_Special_Orkneys_Stone_Age_Temple/
Available until 10:04PM Sun, 8 Jan 2012
First broadcast BBC HD, 9:05PM Sun, 1 Jan 2012 |
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| rynner2 What a Cad!
Great Old One Joined: 13 Dec 2008 Total posts: 21365 Location: Under the moon Gender: Male |
| Posted: 02-01-2012 22:40 Post subject: |
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More info here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ness_of_Brodgar
| Quote: | | According to project manager Nick Card, the discoveries are unparalleled in British prehistory, the complexity of finds is changing the "whole vision of what the landscape was 5,000 years ago" and that "it’s of a scale that almost relates to the classical period in the Mediterranean with walled enclosure and walled precincts".[2] Additionally, according to archaeologists in general, the site could be more important than Stonehenge. |
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| rjmrjmrjm Professional Surrealist
Constipated-Philosopher Joined: 25 Feb 2004 Total posts: 1465 Location: Behind your eyes... Gender: Unknown |
| Posted: 04-01-2012 09:53 Post subject: |
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| It seems that evidence that could be used to back up my pet theory that ancient peoples were much more advanced than we give them credit for and were much better travelled and linked than we thought seems to have been increasing over the past 10 years. |
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| rynner2 What a Cad!
Great Old One Joined: 13 Dec 2008 Total posts: 21365 Location: Under the moon Gender: Male |
| Posted: 04-01-2012 10:43 Post subject: |
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| rjmrjmrjm wrote: | | It seems that evidence that could be used to back up my pet theory that ancient peoples were much more advanced than we give them credit for and were much better travelled and linked than we thought seems to have been increasing over the past 10 years. |
I thought that as far back as the 60s. My reasons came from my own experiences at sea (especially later) and my interest in astronomy.
We know they had boats way back in time, and outside of the Med they would have had tides to cope with. (And the people of the Orkneys, then as now, would have known all about the ferocious tides in the Pentland Firth.)
It doesn't take long to realise that the tides are linked to the Moon, and this would lead to an interest in the movements of Sun, Moon, and stars - hence stone circles as early forms of observatories. This knowledge would help understand the tides better, and be of general navigational use.
Somewhere I still have the notes I made in the 70s, when reading Homer's Odyssey and Iliad: I noted details of ship construction and handling, and also references to use of the stars to navigate. In fact I'd done something similar in the 60s, studying the voyage where St Paul was shipwrecked, so these ideas have been floating around my mind since school-days!
So the evidence has long been there, but it's good that modern archaelogy can now expand our knowledge. The Antikythera Mechanism, although of a later date, is also good evidence of the links between astronomy and sailing:
http://www.forteantimes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5649 |
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| Pietro_Mercurios Heuristically Challenged
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| rynner2 What a Cad!
Great Old One Joined: 13 Dec 2008 Total posts: 21365 Location: Under the moon Gender: Male |
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| Zilch5 Vogon Poet
Great Old One Joined: 08 Nov 2007 Total posts: 1527 Location: Western Sydney, Australia Gender: Male |
| Posted: 05-08-2013 02:15 Post subject: |
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| Quote: | Archaeologists discover 'finest ever' piece of Neolithic art that was part of vast temple complex built in 3,500BC
Archaeologists have found an astonishing piece of Neolithic artwork that was buried for 4,500 years.
The stone creation - which is decorated on both sides and has been described as one of the ‘finest ever’ to be found in Britain - was uncovered last night on the Ness of Brodgar in Orkney, Scotland.
It was found at the base of the south-west internal corner of the Neolithic ‘cathedral’ at the site, which covers 2.5 hectares and is believed to have been occupied from as early as 3,500BC.
Neolithic man built a vast temple complex at the Ness of Brodgar, with some parts constructed more than 5,000 years ago, even before the Ancient Egyptians had started building the pyramids.
Excavations began in 2003 at the site, which has provided evidence of housing, decorated stone slabs, a massive stone wall with foundations, and a large building described as a Neolithic cathedral.
Once protected by two giant walls, each more than 330ft long and 13ft high, the complex at the Ness of Brodgar contained more than a dozen large temples, with one measuring almost 270 sq ft.
They were linked to outhouses and kitchens by carefully constructed stone pavements. The bones of sacrificed cattle, elegantly made pottery and pieces of painted ceramics lie scattered there.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2382765/Archaeologists-discover-finest-piece-Neolithic-art-vast-temple-complex-built-3-500BC.html#ixzz2b3LoB23j
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| rynner2 What a Cad!
Great Old One Joined: 13 Dec 2008 Total posts: 21365 Location: Under the moon Gender: Male |
| Posted: 05-08-2013 07:18 Post subject: |
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There are earlier posts on this thread (and possibly elsewhere) about Brodgar finds. |
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| Pietro_Mercurios Heuristically Challenged
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| Posted: 05-08-2013 10:14 Post subject: |
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| rynner2 wrote: | ...
There are earlier posts on this thread (and possibly elsewhere) about Brodgar finds. |
True. Might be worth finding them and creating a separate thread.
P_M |
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| Pietro_Mercurios Heuristically Challenged
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| Posted: 08-08-2013 19:38 Post subject: |
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True to my word, here's the new Ness of Brodgar thread. Doesn't seem like thirty years since we had that drunken Midsummer's Eve party at the Ring of Brodgar and chased each other back across Harray Loch in little boats powered by 1hp Seagull engines.
P_M
The latest on the dig on the Ness and the discovery of a 'carved stone ball'. It's discovery in context makes it a rare find.
http://www.orkneyjar.com/archaeology/nessofbrodgar/2013/08/dig-diary-wednesday-august-7-2013/
What were these carved artefacts? Abstract sculptures? Mace heads? Loom weights? Weights for nets? My personal theory is that they were used in the twisting of stuff like leather, gut, or yarn, to make rope and cord. But, that's only my opinion. |
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| Pietro_Mercurios Heuristically Challenged
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| Zilch5 Vogon Poet
Great Old One Joined: 08 Nov 2007 Total posts: 1527 Location: Western Sydney, Australia Gender: Male |
| Posted: 08-08-2013 23:20 Post subject: |
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| Thanks for the link to the blog - great reading! |
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| Pietro_Mercurios Heuristically Challenged
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| Pietro_Mercurios Heuristically Challenged
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| Posted: 09-08-2013 08:50 Post subject: |
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Also well worth watching, an illustrated lecture by Nick Card, senior project manager for the Orkney Research Centre for Archaeology (ORCA), on progress at the Ness of Brodgar site, given to the Glasgow Archaeological Society (GAS), last year.
http://youtu.be/p83L7Gc5354
A good overview, that gives some idea of just how big, important and complicated the site actually is. |
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| Zilch5 Vogon Poet
Great Old One Joined: 08 Nov 2007 Total posts: 1527 Location: Western Sydney, Australia Gender: Male |
| Posted: 10-08-2013 06:58 Post subject: |
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Oh I did and thank you. Thanks to the ABC (our version of the BBC) we get to see these programs. About the only thing I watch these days. Well, Vikings on SBS is looking good too - but that's a different story. |
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