Science

n2doc

(47,953 posts) Sun Dec 21, 2014, 08:32 AM Dec 2014

Stonehenge discovery could rewrite British pre-history

Archaeologists have discovered the earliest settlement at Stonehenge - but the Mesolithic camp could be destroyed if government plans for a new tunnel go ahead.

Charcoal dug up from the ‘Blick Mead’ encampment, a mile and a half from Stonehenge, dates from around 4,000BC. It is thought the site was originally occupied by hunter gatherers returning to Britain after the Ice Age, when the country was still connected to the continent.

Experts say the discovery could re-write history in prehistoric Britain.
There is also evidence of feasting - burnt flints and remains of giant bulls – aurochs – as well as flint tools.

The dig has also unearthed evidence of possible structures, but the site could be destroyed if plans for a 1.8 mile tunnel go ahead.

more

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/environment/archaeology/11303127/Stonehenge-discovery-could-rewrite-British-pre-history.html

4 replies

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Stonehenge discovery could rewrite British pre-history (Original Post) n2doc Dec 2014 OP

Word for the day, Auroch ..... large wild cattle Botany Dec 2014 #1

It will be interesting to see what the British do. PatrickforO Dec 2014 #2

Someone's gotta do it HomerRamone Dec 2014 #3

Hard to know what the best option is muriel_volestrangler Dec 2014 #4

Botany

(70,449 posts)

1. Word for the day, Auroch ..... large wild cattle

Reply to n2doc (Original post)

Sun Dec 21, 2014, 11:14 AM

Dec 2014

BTW wolves would never go for the head of a large animal first they would go for the
hind legs and then wear the animal down.

PatrickforO

(14,561 posts)

2. It will be interesting to see what the British do.

Reply to n2doc (Original post)

Sun Dec 21, 2014, 11:28 AM

Dec 2014

Will they eschew digging in this site and make the tunnel, or will they find some other way to route traffic, keep digging and preserve the site? If Stonehenge was made by hunter gatherers, then that shows that culture among those tribes was pretty advanced.

I've often maintained that the highest civilization of which our species is capable is small hunter-gatherer tribes separated by vast geographic distances.

HomerRamone

(1,112 posts)

3. Someone's gotta do it

Reply to n2doc (Original post)

Sun Dec 21, 2014, 12:17 PM

Dec 2014

http://vimeo.com/94459739

muriel_volestrangler

(101,271 posts)

4. Hard to know what the best option is

Reply to n2doc (Original post)

Sun Dec 21, 2014, 02:39 PM

Dec 2014

Here's a map:

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/idld.srf?x=414620&y=141790&z=120&sv=414620,141790&st=4&ar=y&mapp=idld.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=532&ax=414620&ay=141790&lm=0

The arrow at the 'fort' points to Vespasian's Camp, which is where Blick Mead is. Here's are diagrams of the different proposals:

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/dec/01/stonehenge-tunnel-plan-divided-reaction-victory-disaster-world-heritage-site

The northern road has to avoid the Cursus, another part of the Stonehenge site, plus Woodhenge, and Durrington Walls, plus, if possible, various tumuli on that side. The southern road looks as if it cuts through the southern-most part of the Avenue. If the tunnel options, all starting underneath the present road, are held to be damaging to Blick Mead, it may be that they'd have to start the bypass well to the east. But going south around Amesbury you run into Boscombe Down airfield, where the Ministry of Defence tests its aircraft, and they're unlikely to allow a road to be driven through it.

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