The Great Bluestone Provenance Hunt – 2020 Update

I note elsewhere that there are worries that the bluestone bloodhounds haven’t been testing enough rocks to justify their assertions that the sites so far identified as sources of the Stonehenge non-dolerite bluestones (SH38 40 46 48) and the Craig Rhosyfelin-like outcrops are unique. Similar criticism has been made of the Sarsen sourcers. Sampling will always have this criticism and the familiar cry of more test and tracing is voiced endlessly.

But with Bluestones and Sarsens it seems that the coverage has been more than reasonable so far and any further refinements will be building on firm foundations.

The Whispering Molinia tells me that MPP had a remarkably successful 2020, considering.., and many more boxes of rock samples are off to be analysed so that nearly 250 potential bluestone locations that will soon have been checked against the Stonehenge references. They have been snuffling up and down the streams that flow around Craig Rhos-y-felin leaving no stone unturned.  I look forward to learning the results.

 

Areas sampled for bluestone rocks up to the end of 2020