The Recumbent Stone Circles of Aberdeenshire

The Recumbent Stone Circles of Aberdeenshire PDF

Author: John Hill

Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing

Published: 2021-03-15

Total Pages: 212

ISBN-13: 1527567400

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Recumbent Stone Circles are a distinctive architectural style of British stone circle. Built circa 2500 BC, they dominated the Late Neolithic landscape of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. This book discusses their archaeology and, using experimental archaeology, explains how the original builders went about building these magnificent stone circles. Sharing the results of the author’s unique experiments, the book demonstrates how measured ropes were used to set out the geometrical design of the stone rings, as well as dictate the dimensions of the circle’s respective orthostats. Moreover, given the book’s provision of instructions on to repeat these experiments, the reader will be able to explore how these circles not only captured their corresponding astronomy, but how they were also positioned in the landscape so that they were astronomically aligned towards each other, creating a network of inter-aligned stone circles that enabled the prehistoric communities to synchronise both time and space across the vast regions of Aberdeenshire.

The Recumbent Stone Circles of Aberdeenshire

The Recumbent Stone Circles of Aberdeenshire PDF

Author: John Hill

Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing

Published: 2021-05

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9781527565852

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Recumbent Stone Circles are a distinctive architectural style of British stone circle. Built circa 2500 BC, they dominated the Late Neolithic landscape of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. This book discusses their archaeology and, using experimental archaeology, explains how the original builders went about building these magnificent stone circles. Sharing the results of the authorâ (TM)s unique experiments, the book demonstrates how measured ropes were used to set out the geometrical design of the stone rings, as well as dictate the dimensions of the circleâ (TM)s respective orthostats. Moreover, given the bookâ (TM)s provision of instructions on to repeat these experiments, the reader will be able to explore how these circles not only captured their corresponding astronomy, but how they were also positioned in the landscape so that they were astronomically aligned towards each other, creating a network of inter-aligned stone circles that enabled the prehistoric communities to synchronise both time and space across the vast regions of Aberdeenshire.

Great Crowns of Stone

Great Crowns of Stone PDF

Author: Adam Welfare

Publisher: Royal Commission

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781902419558

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Stone circles always excite the imagination, and nowhere more so than in the north-east of Scotland, which holds one of the most dense concentrations to be found anywhere in the British Isles. Illustrated with unique plans, this volume examines the facts, myths and mysteries surrounding some of Scotland's most evocative ancient monuments.

A Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany

A Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany PDF

Author: Aubrey Burl

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2005-01-01

Total Pages: 310

ISBN-13: 9780300114065

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

This practical and knowledgeable guidebook deals comprehensively with the stone circles of Britain and Ireland and with the cromlechs and megalithic "horseshoes" of Brittany. This new edition includes a section on "Druidical" circles, romantic creations of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. "This book is not only an elegant and practical guide, it is also the best single-volume study of this extraordinary phenomenon, embracing 500 monuments from Shetland to Brittany. . . . Confident, erudite, pleasurable, this volume can be recommended as travel guide, archaeology, literature, and sheer good company."--Ian Sheperd, British Archaeology "This is a wonderful book and is a must for anyone remotely interested in things megalithic."--Paul Walsh, Archaeology Ireland

The Moon and the Bonfire

The Moon and the Bonfire PDF

Author: Richard Bradley

Publisher: Society Antiquaries Scotland

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 148

ISBN-13: 0903903334

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Whilst a report on excavations at three stone circles and two fieldwalking projects in north-east Scotland may not seem very appealing this book does much to heighten public awareness and interest in such sites and re-connects us with the mysterious monuments of the past. This study of the sites of Tomnaverie (Deeside), Cothiemuir Wood (Donside) and Aikey Brae (Buchan) is written in an engaging and approachable style with plenty of illustrative material. Whilst the project was geared towards investigating the character, chronology, structural development and wider context of the stone circles, its results go much further in revealing how people used and perceived such sites and the landscape around them. Here, contextual information, discussion of methodology and objectives are combined with factual data and interpretation as the project members examine various aspects of the sites such as the characterisation (shape, colour and texture) of the stones used, construction techniques, evidence of burning, the presence of human remains and possible solar and lunar alignments. The proffering of new insights into the use and symbolism of the monuments is highly valuable, for example, the suggestion that we should perhaps consider the use of these stone circles during the hours of darkness rather than daylight, an idea first proposed by Aubrey Burl, requires us to re-think our preconceptions about monuments in the past. The rewards of painstaking excavation and trudging through muddy fields are evident in a publication such as this.

The Modern Antiquarian

The Modern Antiquarian PDF

Author: Julian Cope

Publisher: HarperThorsons

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780722535998

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

In this unique guide to Britain's megalithic culture, rock n' roller Julian Cope provides an inspired fusion of travel, history, poetry, maps, field notes, and pure passion.

The Use and reuse of stone circles

The Use and reuse of stone circles PDF

Author: Courtney Nimura

Publisher: Oxbow Books Limited

Published: 2016-09-30

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 1785702440

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

The study of stone circles has long played a major role in British and Irish archaeology, and for Scotland most attention has been focused on the large monuments of Orkney and the Western Isles. Several decades of fieldwork have shown how these major structures are likely to be of early date and recognised that that smaller settings of monoliths had a more extended history. Many of the structures in Northern Britain were reused during the later Bronze Age, the Iron Age and the early medieval period. A series of problems demand further investigation including: when were the last stone circles built? How did they differ from earlier constructions? How were they related to henge monuments, especially those of Bronze Age date? How frequently were these places reused, and did this secondary activity change the character of those sites? This major new assessment first presents the results of fieldwork undertaken at the Scottish recumbent stone circle of Hillhead; the stone circles of Waulkmill and Croftmoraig, the stone circle and henge at Hill of Tuach at Kintore; and the small ring cairn at Laikenbuie in Inverness-shire. Part 2 brings together the results of these five projects and puts forward a chronology for the construction and primary use of stone circles, particularly the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age examples. It considers the reuse of stone circles, long after they were built, and discusses four neighbouring stone circles in Aberdeenshire which display both similarites and contrasts in their architecture, use of raw materials, associated artefacts and structural sequences. Finally, a reassessment and reinterpretation of Croftmoraig and its sequence is presented: the new interpretation drawing attention to ways of thinking about these monuments which have still to fulfil their potential.

The Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland, and Brittany

The Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland, and Brittany PDF

Author: Aubrey Burl

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2000-01-01

Total Pages: 492

ISBN-13: 9780300083477

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

The spectacular stone circles of western Europe, some nearly 6000 years old, have intrigued viewers through the ages. This beautiful book about these megalithic rings explores their ancestry, methods of construction, and eventual desertion. A substantially revised version of Aubrey Burl's highly praised work The Stone Circles of the British Isles, it offers new insights into the purpose of stone circles. It also provides a new interpretation of Stonehenge and of Callanish in Scotland, the first overview of the cromlechs in Brittany, a discussion of the problems of archaeoastronomy as related to stone circles, a greatly expanded Gazetteer, and an up-to-date list of radiocarbon dates and recent excavations.