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Toltec
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Topic: More Spectacular than Stonehenge Posted: 20-Mar-2012 at 06:16 |
Most people seem to only be aware of one stone circle or prehistoric site in Britain, Stonehenge.
There are in fact more prehistoric sites in Britain than the whole of the rest of Europe combined and 1000 surving of and estimated original 2000 stone circles.
Here I'd like to make a post dedicated to but a few of them. While Stonehenge is a wonderful site it has rather hogged the limelight and kept people from knowing about perhaps even greater wonders.
Edited by Toltec - 20-Mar-2012 at 06:16
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TheAlaniDragonRising
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Posted: 20-Mar-2012 at 06:23 |
I find this an interesting list in regards to the Callanish Stones on the isle of Lewis, in the outer Hebrides in Scotland.
Archaeologists usually refer to the main monument as "Callanish I", because there are several other megalithic sites in the vicinity: - "Cnoc Ceann a' Ghàraidh" (Callanish II) – stone circle
- "Cnoc Filibhir Bheag" (Callanish III) – stone circle
- "Ceann Hulavig" (Callanish IV) – stone circle
- "Àirigh nam Bidearan" (Callanish V) – stone alignment
- "Cùl a' Chleit" (Callanish VI) – stone circle
- "Cnoc Dubh" (Callanish VII) – ancient settlement or "shieling" (stone dwelling used while tending cattle on summer pastures)
- "Tursachan" (Callanish VIII) – unique semicircular monument at the edge of a sheer cliff on the nearby island of Great Bernera
- "Àird A' Chaolais" (Callanish VIIIa) - standing stone
- "Àirigh Nam Bidearan" (Callanish IX) - stones
- "Na Dromannan" ("Druim Nan Eun") (Callanish X)
- "Beinn Bheag" (Callanish XI) - standing stone; stones; cairns
- "Stonefield" (Callanish XII) - standing stone
- "Sgeir Nan Each" (Callanish XIII) - stone setting
- "Cnoc Sgeir Na h-Uidhe" (Callanish XIV W) - stone setting
- "Cnoc Sgeir Na h-Uidhe" (Callanish XIV e) - stones
- "Àirigh Mhaoldonuich" (Callanish XV) - standing stone
- "Cliacabhadh" (Callanish XVI) - standing stone; stones
- "Druim Na h-Aon Choich" (Callanish XVII) - standing stone (possible)
- "Loch Crogach" (Callanish XVIII) - standing stone (possible)
- "Buaile Chruaidh" (Callanish XIX) - standing stone (possible)
- There are many other sites nearby; not all are now visible. There was, for instance, a timber circle 0.5 km south at Loch Roag.
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What a handsome figure of a dragon. No wonder I fall madly in love with the Alani Dragon now, the avatar, it's a gorgeous dragon picture.
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Toltec
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Posted: 20-Mar-2012 at 06:32 |
First up is the Britain's biggest stone circle, Avebury.
Built 4400-4600 years ago it's made of the same Sarsen stones as Stonehenge and is only 20 miles down the road. The huge circle though is dwarved by the chalk ditch around it which took an estimated 1.5 man hours to dig.
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TheAlaniDragonRising
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Posted: 20-Mar-2012 at 06:44 |
The ditch and bank do make it spectacular. Is it known for sure that both were in place?
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What a handsome figure of a dragon. No wonder I fall madly in love with the Alani Dragon now, the avatar, it's a gorgeous dragon picture.
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Toltec
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Posted: 20-Mar-2012 at 06:45 |
Next up Britian;s second largest stone cirlce, Stanton Drew.
Just 50 miles from Avebury this collossus was buit 4-5,000 years ago was undoubtably a rival to Avebury. Nine wooden circles were erected within the stones each a metre thick, finding enough trees with thick enough stumps alone must has been a tough task, let alone felling them with stone tools and transporting them.
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Centrix Vigilis
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Posted: 20-Mar-2012 at 06:45 |
Impressive stuff... like the photos and links. Keep them coming.
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Toltec
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Posted: 20-Mar-2012 at 06:55 |
Seahenge
Built over 4000 years ago this wooden circle may seem mundane but for a couple of facts. The full size tree at the centre buried to a phenominal depth, upside down with only the bottom of its stump showing. Not sure whether practicalities or the sense of why on earth would anyone do that are greater with this one. While Seahenge I is now safely in a museum, recently discovered is the even older and larger Seahenge II not far away, opens up the possibilty of a complex of these existing, remembering a hundred metre relief road near Stonehenge recently yeided 10 wooden circles.
Seahenge II
Edited by Toltec - 20-Mar-2012 at 06:56
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Toltec
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Posted: 20-Mar-2012 at 07:03 |
Not just stone circles, Europe largest mound, Silbury Hill, the size of a Giza pyramid lays just yards away from Avebury and took an astounding 18 million man-hours, or 500 men working for 15 years to build and is almost 5000 years old.
Edited by Toltec - 20-Mar-2012 at 07:15
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Toltec
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Posted: 20-Mar-2012 at 07:15 |
A bit younger this one, a mere 3000 years old this 110 metre giant is most likely the oldest of Britain's numerous chalk hill carvings.
Experts estimate a carving must be recarved at most every 9 years or is lost to nature. So every few year during the Bronze Age, Roman occupation, dark ages, medieval times and since, this has an unbroken chain of people maintaining it.
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Toltec
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Posted: 20-Mar-2012 at 07:22 |
Maiden Castle, built 2500 years ago and over half a kilometre in length is Britain's largest hillfort.
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unclefred
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Posted: 20-Mar-2012 at 10:59 |
NEWGRANGE Surrounded by a stone circle (12 remaining from an estimated original 36), with 97 Kerb-stones, an internal cruciform chamber and corbelled roof, the grandiose scale of the earth-works at Newgrange make it one of the most spectacular of prehistoric monuments in all Europe. The recognition that it provides an accurate means of measuring the solar year (to within a margin of several minutes), is testimony to the prehistoric mind.
Newgrange is currently in the care of Heritage Ireland , and access is by guided tour only.
According to Irish mythology Newgrange was one of the sidhe, or fairy-mounds, where the Tuatha De Danann lived. It was built by the god Dagda, but his son Oengus later tricked him out of it. It is named for the goddess Boann, the mother of Aengus, who is also credited with the creation of the River Boyne. Above the entrance passage is a 'light-box', which precisely aligns with the rising sun at the winter solstice of 21st December, so that the rays touch the ground at the very centre of the tomb for about 20 minutes. Many of the upright stones along the walls of the 19m (62ft) passage, which follows the rise of the hill, are richly decorated.
http://www.ancient-wisdom.co.uk/irelandnewgrange.htm
Edited by unclefred - 20-Mar-2012 at 11:00
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unclefred
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Posted: 20-Mar-2012 at 11:05 |
The Almendres Stone Circle at the Evora complex in Portugal is one of the oldest circle in Western-Europe. It simultaneously calculates the solstices and the equinoxes, being composed of two circles superimposed over each other. There exists an alignment running for over 50km approximately east from Almendres circle, following the path of the spring full-moon. The alignment passes over the largest passage mound in all Iberia (Zambujeiro), and ends at the Xarez Quadrangle (above) at Monsaraz.
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Louise C
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Posted: 20-Mar-2012 at 13:22 |
i've been to Avebury a few times, it is a very impressive place. A big advantage over Stonehenge is that you can walk about among the stones, they are not fenced off. There are some lovely prehistoric sites in Cornwall, though none as big as Avebury. But the Merry Maidens stone circle is lovely, as is the Men an Tol, a big stone with a hole through the middle, you can crawl through it, apparently people used to think they could cure diseases that way. And there are several Quoits, stones with other stones balanced on top of them, that are quite striking. And the remains of two prehistoric villages, Carn Euny, and Chysauster. Brittany has masses of prehistoric sites too, though the stone rows at Carnac have been fenced off (much to the fury of the locals when I was there in 1994), though one small portion of the rows is on private farmland, and when I was there you could still walk among the stones there. And there are many other prehistoric sites in the area, so many in fact that it is quite bewildering.
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Cryptic
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Posted: 20-Mar-2012 at 14:50 |
Originally posted by Louise C
Brittany has masses of prehistoric sites too, though the stone rows at Carnac have been fenced off (much to the fury of the locals when I was there in 1994) |
If the authorities are worried about damage to the site, I wonder why the cannot compromise and open the gates only during certain months (probably summer when the ground is dry and hard packed)?
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Toltec
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Posted: 20-Mar-2012 at 21:27 |
Originally posted by unclefred
NEWGRANGE
Surrounded by a stone circle (12 remaining from an estimated original 36), with 97 Kerb-stones, an internal cruciform chamber and corbelled roof, the grandiose scale of the earth-works at Newgrange make it one of the most spectacular of prehistoric monuments in all Europe. The recognition that it provides an accurate means of measuring the solar year (to within a margin of several minutes), is testimony to the prehistoric mind.
Newgrange is currently in the care of Heritage Ireland , and access is by guided tour only.
According to Irish mythology Newgrange was one of the sidhe, or fairy-mounds, where the Tuatha De Danann lived. It was built by the god Dagda, but his son Oengus later tricked him out of it. It is named for the goddess Boann, the mother of Aengus, who is also credited with the creation of the River Boyne.
Above the entrance passage is a 'light-box', which precisely aligns with the rising sun at the winter solstice of 21st December, so that the rays touch the ground at the very centre of the tomb for about 20 minutes. Many of the upright stones along the walls of the 19m (62ft) passage, which follows the rise of the hill, are richly decorated.
http://www.ancient-wisdom.co.uk/irelandnewgrange.htm |
New Grange is a fake though, it was built in the 1970's.
The only genuine part is the inside, that white pointed wall and elaborate entrance are purely a product of modern architecture and never existed.
Neighbouring Knowth though has been kept authentic and shows how an authentic New Grange would have looked.
Edited by Toltec - 20-Mar-2012 at 21:48
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Don Quixote
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Posted: 23-Mar-2012 at 15:22 |
That truly a spectacular thread , thank you, contributors.
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Centrix Vigilis
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Posted: 21-Apr-2012 at 12:13 |
Swedish Stonehenge? Ancient Stone Structure Spurs Debate Rather then start a thread on Kåseberga-Ales Stenar, I'll put it here for your review. Whether it's a twin of Stonehenge or based on it remains to be seen.
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Mountain Man
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Posted: 19-Aug-2012 at 12:01 |
It appears that the Ancient Brits were every bit as advanced as the Mayans or the Incas, especially when it came to the ancient and not yet understood methods of moving huge masses of stone into precise locations.
I often wonder what else we don't know about these ancient cultures and their accomplishments.
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opuslola
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Posted: 14-Jan-2014 at 23:51 |
Originally posted by Toltec
First up is the Britain's biggest stone circle, Avebury.
Built 4400-4600 years ago it's made of the same Sarsen stones as Stonehenge and is only 20 miles down the road. The huge circle though is dwarved by the chalk ditch around it which took an estimated 1.5 man hours to dig.
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Avenbury could just as easily be presented as Havenbury which could even be further reduced to a meaning of "a haven" or "a port" or even "Heaven!"
Just what are your thoughts?
Ron
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