Posted on 09/18/2017 6:36:00 AM PDT by BenLurkin
Sadly, the truth is that the monument we see today was rebuilt as far back as 1901 when restoration process caused great outrage but was rarely referred to in official guidebooks.
William Gowland oversaw the first major restoration of the monument which involved the straightening and concrete setting of sarsen stone number 56 which was in danger of falling. In straightening the stone he moved it about half a meter from its original position.
During the 1920 restoration William Hawley, who had excavated nearby Old Sarum, excavated the base of six stones and the outer ditch. Richard Atkinson, Stuart Piggott and John F. S. Stone re-excavated much of Hawley’s work in the 1940s and 1950s and discovered the carved axes and daggers on the Sarsen Stones.
In 1958 the stones were restored again when three of the standing sarsens were re-erected and set in concrete bases. The last restoration was carried out in 1963 after stone 23 of the Sarsen Circle fell over.
Cambridge University archeological archivist and leading Stonehenge author Christopher Chippindale admitted: ‘Not much of what we see at Stonehenge hasn’t been touched in some way’. And historical research student Brian Edwards, who recently revealed that the nearby Avebury Monument had been totally rebuilt, has found rare pictures of Stonehenge being restored. He said: ‘It has been as if Stonehenge had been historically cleansed’. ‘For too long people have been kept in the dark over the Stonehenge restoration work. I am astonished by how few people know about it. It is wonderful the guide book is going to tell the full story in the future.’
(Excerpt) Read more at ancient-code.com ...
Guess which ones we are descended from?
When I look around and see Hollywood, for example, I think the latter. Or at least some of us.
Maybe things haven't really changed that much.
That one’s up above the river (Columbia) and all smoked up at the moment.
I didn't climb on the stones and I did and do think the graffiti is disgraceful.
“They were even going to go full Druid and sacrifice a virgin to consecrate it, but they couldn’t find a virgin anywhere in Ector County.”
ROFLMAO. You’ve clearly been to Odessa.
I went in 2013 and again in 2015. If you’re willing to spend the money, there are 4 package tours a day, Stonehenge, Bath and the village of Laycock. They visit Stonehenge before the monument opens and after it closes (two tours each) and you get to go among the stones. They don’t let you even touch them, though. I thought it was worth it.
Usually, tours will go to Bath & Stonehenge. I’ve been to both. Bath several times. Nice day trip from London.
My ancestors were smart, hard working, and multiple times left corrupt places, to live on the edge of civilization. Where life was relatively free. They also fought in those wars.
ditto
Oh, my mistake, I had seen them. Besides the antiquarian guesswork, a good many of the megalithic sites were used as ready sources of building stone, right up to modern times. During one restoration of a large, apparently lone standing stone in the 20th century, the remains of a 15th c (if memory serves) victim of a stone-tipping were found. Apparently the site was being used as a quarry by the local gentry, and one guy, perhaps the bossman, was standing a little too close.
In the early 17th century, architect Inigo Jones drew what he thought was a likely original design for Stonehenge, and I’d wondered if he drew his conclusions on a larger number of surviving stones during his era. He was incorrect about it having been built in Roman times. However, even post holes leave their traces, so if there had been more really large stones stuck in holes at the site, their holes would be detectable. This means, the next major restoration will be able to correct problems with those of the past.
“I didn’t climb on the stones and I did and do think the graffiti is disgraceful.”
Different issue. Back in the day, it was permitted (for a couple of dollars) to climb the pyramids.
And the graffiti was 2-3,000 years old. The graffiti itself became a historical artifact. It was cool to think I had not only climbed the pyramid, but sat where a conquering Roman Centurion had decided to carve his name.
““They were even going to go full Druid and sacrifice a virgin to consecrate it, but they couldn’t find a virgin anywhere in Ector County.”
ROFLMAO. You’ve clearly been to Odessa.”
Not voluntarily, but yes.
That was interesting!
Thanks!
Back in 1955 my Dad and Mom drove from Wenatchee WA south to California. I remember my little brother pointing across the river from the Oregon side saying “hey look, there’s Stonehenge!” My reply was “You idiot, Stonehenge is in England” But sure enough, there it was, it couldn’t be anything else!
At night you can hear the Stonehedge clock ticking.
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