Sunday, 12 January 2025

Norfolk Sarsens





Mamillated sarsen found on Sidestrand beach in November 2010.





West Runton beach September 2016 It is in the museum at Seaview beach café




Longwater gravel pit, Horstead



Out on the wave cut platform again towards Sheringham.




Silica cemented sand and gravels. Layered and swirled Pudding Stone at West Runton towards Sheringham





Click any to enlarge, all of these photographs are Copyright Russell Yeomans 2025.


Many thanks to Russell for providing them.

Thursday, 9 January 2025

'How did ancient people move large stones?' - Dr Hugh Thomas

Click to visit thread on X, née Twitter.

For the whole thread, off X, see https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1876792234625957994.html

Wednesday, 8 January 2025

The Tectonic Movement of Stonehenge

This week there are press releases about the Southern Levantine 5000 year old megalithic structure Rujm el-Hiri's astronomical purpose being questioned.


The new research claims "Geomagnetic analysis shows that since the entire region has rotated over time, the Rujm el-Hiri’s location shifted from its original position for tens of meters for the thousands of years of the object’s existence, challenging theories of the alignment of its walls with astronomical bodies and raising questions regarding its possible identification as an observatory."

Stonehenge doesn't have the same problem.

The Eurasian plate has been rotating clockwise primarily in a north-easterly direction over the past several thousand years at a rate of approximately 25 millimeters per year. Given this rate of movement, over the last 5,000 years the Eurasian plate has moved approximately 125 meters northward .This shift represents about one-thousandth of a degree of latitude, which is insignificant.

Tuesday, 31 December 2024

Ritual Stones in Scottish Universities

The tradition of "black stone examination" in Scottish universities is a fascinating aspect of academic history, with roots dating back to at least the 16th century. Here's a summary of the references and information about this practice (produced by Perplexity AI agent):

## Origins and Prevalence

The black stone examination was once a common practice among the five ancient Scottish universities. The earliest known reference to this tradition dates back to 1531 at the University of St Andrews[1]. By 1647, the University Commissioners referred to the examination on the "Black-staine" as a practice common to all Scottish universities[1].

## Specific University References

### University of St Andrews

- An "examen quod appellant nigri lapidis" (examination which they call of the black stone) is mentioned in a 1580 regulation[1].

- The reputed black stone of St Andrews University, now in Parliament Hall, appears to be the base of a column[1].

### University of Glasgow

- In 1659, a regulation mentioned that library fees should be paid before a graduand could proceed to "laureation" (graduation) on the black stone[1].

- The University of Glasgow's Blackstone Chair, created in the mid-1770s, incorporated this tradition into a more elaborate piece of furniture[1].

### University of Edinburgh and Marischal College, Aberdeen

- Both institutions once held black stone examinations, although no trace of the stones used survives[1].

### King's College, Aberdeen

- According to one account, the black marble tombstone of the founder, Bishop Elphinstone, was used at graduation[1].


## Nature of the Examination

The black stone examination was typically an oral examination conducted in Latin or Greek. At the University of Glasgow, for example:

- Students sat on the black stone (later, in the Blackstone Chair) while professors tested their knowledge of chosen books[1].

- An hourglass was used to time the examination[1].

- The examination was part of the process for "promotion" to the next stage in the degree structure[1].


## Evolution and Discontinuation

The practice of black stone examination evolved over time:

- At Glasgow, the tradition was incorporated into the elaborate Blackstone Chair in the 1770s[1].

- The Universities Act of 1858 led to the introduction of written examinations, largely ending the practice of oral examinations on the black stone[1].


## Significance

The black stone examination was more than just an academic test; it was a ritual element that added solemnity and tradition to the examination process. Its widespread use across Scottish universities highlights a shared academic culture and tradition unique to Scotland's educational institutions.


Citations:

[1] https://regionalfurnituresociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/the-blackstone-chair-stephen-jackson.pdf

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_stane

[3] https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/blackstone-chair-glasgow-scotland

[4] https://museumoftheuniversityofstandrews.wordpress.com/2018/05/09/st-andrews-and-the-blackstone/

[5] https://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/1zz8mu7wSai1ARME0WuMSw

[6] https://collections.st-andrews.ac.uk/collection/furniture/1004089

[7] https://collections.st-andrews.ac.uk/item/black-stone/1000995

[8] https://citydays.com/places/blackstone-chair/

[9] https://electricscotland.com/education/edu18.htm

[10] https://special-collections.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/2017/12/11/the-exam-season-is-upon-us/

[11] https://www.theglasgowstory.com/image/?inum=TGSD00557

Monday, 30 December 2024

Darwin's Stonehenge Notes

 I have written before about Darwin's Stone at Stonehenge - https://www.sarsen.org/2014/05/darwin-stonehenge-and-worms.html   where he is investigating the actions of worms in burying stones.


His manuscript notes are online:


The stone seems to be Stone 45 

A further manuscript where he measures the build up of mould in the ditch is also online :  

The Location of the Altar Stone Engravings

The location of the enigmatic engravings on the Altar Stone shown in Richard Atkinson's 1958 photos that I found in the Historic England archives is a bit of a mystery. Without doubt they are on the Altar Stone at Stonehenge but the caption "Surface Of Altar Stone From North East" doesn't seem right. We have his photo of the North East side of the Altar Stone (below, last photo) exposed after excavation and it doesn't match. I thought it must be the eastern end of the stone but again there are problems. The photo shows the surface of the stone and a section of soil  butting up to it, indicated in pink in the diagram below. His excavation photo shows he cleared the end so there is not section of soil left.

However examining one of the Historic England photos of the engravings reveals in the top right corner a groove in the top surface of the stone, above where the soil section is. Circled in pink in the marked up diagram version (Due to copyright I can't reproduce the photo).

My own photo of the middle section of the Altar Stone surface is moss free and shows an identical groove on the south side as it goes under Stone 55b. Other photos from other sources also show this groove.

Atkinson's excavation photo shows he dug on the south side of the middle section of the Altar Stone and left a baulk of soil under 55b. A photo taken of that excavation "looking" north east would match the features indicated. The eroded top edge of the Altar Stone appears very similar to that in the photo as well.

I am convinced the location of the engravings is on the south side of the middle section of the Altar Stone.

UPDATE - Aha! I have found more photos where the caption seems to mix up North and South, if 156 is on the left and 55B on the right you are facing North not looking from it. 

"Centre Of Altar Stone From N.W. Stone 156 On Left Stone 55B On Right".https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/photos/item/P50100 

"S.E. End Of Altar Stone From N.W. Stone 156 On Left Stone 55B On Right." https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/photos/item/P50099 

I'm booking a visit to the archive to check them and others out.






Diagram showing the features in the photo of the Altar Stone above
(Photo itself is copyright)




Altar Stone middle section surface looking from North East 
My photo - free to copy, click to enlarge.

Rotated cropped copy with the groove highlighted to match the orientation of Atkinson's photo:


 


Sunday, 29 December 2024

Newall's Boulder - A short note on a defective paper

I note the publishers of the deeply flawed paper -  A bluestone boulder at Stonehenge: implications for the glacial transport theory  - have added a warning to it:

"Please read the editorial note first before accessing the article."

"As a platform for scientific discourse, EGQSJ welcomes and expects critical commentary on this article. This page will be updated accordingly."

The comprehensive paper that deals with the egregious errors in the paper is on track to arrive but in the meantime an example of a sin of omission by the author is probably all you need to know.

The bluestone boulder excavated at Stonehenge the paper is about.

A photo of a near identical boulder at Craig Rhos-y-felin (Rhosyfelin), previously published by the author of the paper and not referenced in the paper. (Click photos to embiggen)


The geochemistry of the Stonehenge "Newall" Boulder has been traced back to Craig Rhos-y-felin and other near identical boulders there have been measured and are of similar size to the excavated one. The photographed one and the excavated one would be hard to tell apart, as a photomontage shows:


The paper is based on the idea that the boulder found at Stonehenge is so different from those at “Craig Rhos-y-felin” that only glacial transport can explain the transformation. The logical explanation that humans moved the rock is therefore discounted by him. By not referencing the relevant evidence of his own photographs he eschews that there is no such transformation but at the cost of his integrity.