The world’s first detailed prehistoric maps of Britain

Archaeology News Network ^ | 12-8-2013 | TANN

[Renfield]

The ABC Publishing Group has announced the publication of the world’s first prehistoric maps of Britain. These maps are based on the recently published book by Robert John Langdon titled ‘The Stonehenge Enigma’ which proves that Britain suffered massive ‘Post Glacial Flooding’ directly after the last Ice Age ten thousand years ago, and that mankind placed their ancient sites on the shorelines of these raised waterways.

Stonehenge - surrounded by water on three sides
[Credit: ABC Publishing Group]

The maps are presented on the old ordnance survey first edition that shows the natural ancient environment to a higher degree of detail than subsequent editions. The newly added waterways are colour coded to show how the land would have looked in both the Mesolithic Period (10,000BCE to 4,500BCE) and the Neolithic Period (4,500BCE to 2,500BCE).

“For the first time” says Langdon “archaeologists and historians will be able to understand the features that, until now, have baffled academics”. The newly release maps cover the Stonehenge, Avebury and Old Sarum area of Wiltshire as it has the most prehistoric activity in the country.

“To test the feasibility of my hypothesis, I decided to give it the ultimate test for Wiltshire has the highest concentration of Barrows and Earthworks in the country, so I decided to map the entire district to see if my theory was right or wrong."

The three 1:50 000 maps and six 1:25 000 maps are constructed using a combination of British Geological superficial maps, infrared and photographic satellite images that cover a total of 800 sq. kilometres (500 sq. miles) and incorporates over one thousand ancient monuments, including Round Barrows, Long Barrows, Earthworks and occupation Sites, including for the first-time features that were destroyed by modern farming and Victorian treasure hunters over the last 200 years.

“The results were truly amazing, with over a thousand barrows plotted, only twelve were in the areas we believed to be waterlogged during this prehistoric period. Greater inspection of these monuments showed that they were not as old as believed and built after the waters had receded in recent times. Moreover, the maps showed that every site in the area, including Stonehenge, was built on these waterways and would have been constructed and travelled to by boat as land travel was impossible."

An exhibition of Langdon’s work, including the full range of maps now available to the general public and a new set of maps for the Prehistoric South Downs, which is due to be published during in spring 2014, are at present on display at Ology 12-14 High St in Rottingdean in East Sussex.

Further information and details including pictures of the published maps are found on the ABC web site - Prehistoric Map page

[Renfield]

Ping

This is really interesting!!

[1raider1]

Wouldn’t they in fact not be prehistoric maps, but maps of prehistoric Britain.

[cloudmountain]

Our planet is 5 billion (as in Carl Sagan’s BILLIONS and BILLIONS) years old. Our human history is “chump change” in comparison. Still interesting but in light of putting it in perspective, it’s not so old, is it?

[blueunicorn6]

I knew it! I...just...knew...it. Stonehenge........water skiing.

[cloudmountain]

Wouldn’t they in fact not be prehistoric maps, but maps of prehistoric Britain.

Good one, Mr. Picky.

[Theoria]

I would be interesting how they match up.

[Michael.SF.]

Mr. Picky

LOL

Well, at least he is correcting the publication and not a poster. It is irritating when a professional magazine makes such an error as it is indicative of the dumbing down of our education system.

[Undecided 2012]

they must hsve driven a lot of cars back then to create all that global warming

[Mount Athos]

Wow prehistoric man must have had really high carbon output to melt those glaciers and cause all that flooding

[Telepathic Intruder]

I think a lot of interesting human history must have happened during the pre and post glacial flooding periods. Things to explain Stonehenge, the pyramids, and other monolithic structures that seem improbable by the standards we view prehistory with. Unfortunately most of our ancient history was lost with the burning of the Library of Alexandria (thanks Muzzies). I think it’s possible an advanced civilization existed at that time, but was lost maybe due to some natural cataclysm, e.g. what we call the Great Flood.

[Theoria]

Also, in Neo News. Looks like Heston to me.

[cloudmountain]

Well, at least he is correcting the publication and not a poster. It is irritating when a professional magazine makes such an error as it is indicative of the dumbing down of our education system.

True enough.

[Boogieman]

This is probably the solution to the old mystery of how they hauled the giant dolmens from Cornwall, where they were mined, to Salisbury, when they hadn’t invented the wheel yet. They didn’t need wheels, since they could just float them on rafts all the way to the construction site along these ancient waterways.

[JLS]

If they exist, they really cant even be pre-historic. So perhaps they are the oldest yet discovered maps in Britain?

[Boogieman]

He’s even got the squint down!

[FreeReign]

Wouldn’t they in fact not be prehistoric maps, but maps of prehistoric Britain.

And isn't it a contradiction of terms to have a prehistoric map?

[BenLurkin]

So the other features associated with Stonehenge — such as the processional roads which are partially underwater on this map — are from a much later time?

[SES1066]

What this serves to remind us of is how powerfully history is influenced by geography. Terrain features that go unnoticed when driving on a smooth roadway were dreaded obstacles to ox-drawn wagons. Famines could be local as well as regional and your village was your family. The further back in history, the more limited the travel and trade was, although the Roman Roads and Cities were the highpoint that made the Dark Ages that much darker.

Still, that there was travel and exploration in the earlier ages cannot be denied. Someone always wants to know what lies beyond those ‘far blue hills’ and across that body of water.

Thanks for the reminder of our mutual inheritance from our ancestors!

[bunkerhill7]

Hey Dummy- It`s called a PENINSULA!

“Stonehenge - surrounded by water on three sides”