Sunday, May 09, 2010
Stenness just prior to Thomas visit reported in Archaeologia IV
William Wilson 1842 "Stones of Stennis... in one case in a vast circle surrounded by a mount, in the other in insulated groups of two or three together, either forming parts of an approach to the circle, or themselves the sole remnants of other corresponding circles...
none of them is very thick in proportion to its height and breadth... The summits are generally diagonal... and they seem also in many cases to be imbedded in the earth by a corresponding sloping corner. Their original position was no doubt
perpendicular although others are leaning to their fall, and not a few are lying flat upon the ground...
Although the gigantic remnants near the Kirkwall road are too few in number to indicate the circular form, yet that... is sufficiently manifested by the distinct traces of a large green mound in which they are enclosed... almost continuous semicircle... the other segment having been ploughrd up... One of the largest of these stones now lies flat... having been loosened it is said... by the plough, and soon after blown over by a gale... A... boy... said they were brought there from a distance long ago by the mytes... he... rather thought "a kind of speerits" [perhaps plural of the Mighty that were of old]
Close to either side of the southern end of the bridge... stands a great sentinel stone. [Pocokes 1760 drawing shows the second as a little further from the roadside and it looks like a recumbent i.e. bulky cuboid on its side. I suppose there's an outside chance this had been a large natural boulder like the Savile Stone on Sanday]
... the completer... circle of the... Stones of Stennis... as you approach them you pass here and there a solitary stone or broken remnant, as if there had been... a connecting range or approach, all the way from the bridge to the great circle. The
latter is encompassed by a still entire mound, surrounded by a foss [sic], and there is a filling up of the foss and a lowering of the mound, just at two entrance places, opposite each other, north and south."
William Wilson 1842 "Stones of Stennis... in one case in a vast circle surrounded by a mount, in the other in insulated groups of two or three together, either forming parts of an approach to the circle, or themselves the sole remnants of other corresponding circles...
none of them is very thick in proportion to its height and breadth... The summits are generally diagonal... and they seem also in many cases to be imbedded in the earth by a corresponding sloping corner. Their original position was no doubt
perpendicular although others are leaning to their fall, and not a few are lying flat upon the ground...
Although the gigantic remnants near the Kirkwall road are too few in number to indicate the circular form, yet that... is sufficiently manifested by the distinct traces of a large green mound in which they are enclosed... almost continuous semicircle... the other segment having been ploughrd up... One of the largest of these stones now lies flat... having been loosened it is said... by the plough, and soon after blown over by a gale... A... boy... said they were brought there from a distance long ago by the mytes... he... rather thought "a kind of speerits" [perhaps plural of the Mighty that were of old]
Close to either side of the southern end of the bridge... stands a great sentinel stone. [Pocokes 1760 drawing shows the second as a little further from the roadside and it looks like a recumbent i.e. bulky cuboid on its side. I suppose there's an outside chance this had been a large natural boulder like the Savile Stone on Sanday]
... the completer... circle of the... Stones of Stennis... as you approach them you pass here and there a solitary stone or broken remnant, as if there had been... a connecting range or approach, all the way from the bridge to the great circle. The
latter is encompassed by a still entire mound, surrounded by a foss [sic], and there is a filling up of the foss and a lowering of the mound, just at two entrance places, opposite each other, north and south."
Labels: Ring of Brodgar, Stones of Stenness, Watch Stone
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
WALLS I SCREAM
Regarding the Ness of Brodgar complex the present feeling is still that this seperates a landscape of the dead featuring the Ring of Brodgar from a land of the living featuring the Standing Stones of Stenness. However on the north side of the Brodgar bridge is a large mound that is now believed to be a chambered tomb. In modern times this first appears as Kokna-Cumming, described as a burnt mound. Probably not long after this mention the location was lost. Then an unrecorded excavation found an arrangement of circular walls, leading to its interpretation as a broch (there was another broch [Big Howe ,now only a rise in a field] near the Stones of Stenness). However when geophysics recently revealed evidence of tiering the resemblance to sites such as the Wideford Hill cairn led to the re-think. Until this season the most talked about feature of the Ness of Brodgar complex was still the extremely wide 'Great Wall' that ran across the ness from loch to loch at the site's northern end. Now attention has shifted to the 'cathedral', probably the largest Neolithic building yet found in Europe (or at least the UK), stretching across a large area of the site and disappearing under the present Lochview buildings. This has features resembling Maes Howe, to which it is aligned. This
year they did a small trial excavation on the other side of Lochview and found the 'lesser wall of Brodgar'. This isn't quite as wide as the 'Great Wall' but stands at least 1.4m high on the southern face - it has only been dug into a little, and only on that side, so could go down much further. This is at right angles to the Brodgar standing stone pair that sit in the Lochview garden, and if it cuts across the ness in similar fashion to the 'Great Wall' looks likely to bisect the area between them [I still suspect something of the gatepost pair on a rise at the Brodgar farm itself, even if they are only replacements or show where something could damage the plough]. The feeling is that this marks the southern edge of the Ness of Brodgar complex. If Kokna-Cumming is a tomb what is its relationship to the complex [with The Howe in mind are we sure that Big Howe was only a greenfield broch?[ and what would it mean to the proponents of a living/dead dichotomy for the main Stenness monuments ? Or could it be that the mound is not a tomb either but yet anothe addition to the Ness of Brodgar menagerie ?
The antiquarians recorded quaint names for the main Brodgar monuments [Broidgar in an early newspaper account]. These have been dismissed as fanciful inventions but could be Anglicisations or translations of proper Orcadian names, as has happened
with the likes of Mine Howe and Towerhill. The Standing Stones of Stenness was the Circle of the Moon. The large hearth is formed by four stones of standing stone dimensions and runs N/S E/W but as presently setup the 'altar'/'dolmen' stone setting is at a slight angle. Perhaps that is because as is hypothesised the latter had been used to frame Maes Howe. The Watch Stone, along with a large stub found during roadmaking, is thought to be perhaps part of the SE arc of another circle [call it the Watch Circle]. I haven't heard of any further stones being located by underwater survey and so assume this to have been even more incomplete than the Stones of Stenness [the current position on that circle] or been extensively robbed for a later site. The Comet Stone is a stone arrangement but always referred to as a standing stone because the original surveyor/antiquarian never completed his investigations. Next is the Ring of Brodgar, alias the Circle of the Moon. Finally up on the hill is the Ring [/Rim] of Bookan, a henge monument called the Circle of Stars. It has been noted that this is of similar dimensions to the Stones of Stenness and also has a central setting. Unfortunately a powerful 19th century laird adapted this to be the seat of his Thing, so its original complexion is unknown. The Comet Stone is the tallest surviving part on the mound of a NW/SE aligned setting, an unequal tee being obvious. To the NW it points to the Ring of Bookan, the Ring of Brodgar lies in the extended NW/SW quadrant. NE points towards the Staney Hill standing stone and to the Henge multi-period site of which it is likely a part [apart from a talk by the student involved there doesn't even appear to be even grey literature yet - hopefully when he completes his thesis...]. SE probably points to the 'Watch Circle', but more importantly the short arm of the tee frames the Ness of Brodgar perfectly [and probably the Stones of Stenness beyond too, though I couldn't see that far with what I had]. Could it be that the Comet Stone site is like a grand surveyor's tool ??
Regarding the Ness of Brodgar complex the present feeling is still that this seperates a landscape of the dead featuring the Ring of Brodgar from a land of the living featuring the Standing Stones of Stenness. However on the north side of the Brodgar bridge is a large mound that is now believed to be a chambered tomb. In modern times this first appears as Kokna-Cumming, described as a burnt mound. Probably not long after this mention the location was lost. Then an unrecorded excavation found an arrangement of circular walls, leading to its interpretation as a broch (there was another broch [Big Howe ,now only a rise in a field] near the Stones of Stenness). However when geophysics recently revealed evidence of tiering the resemblance to sites such as the Wideford Hill cairn led to the re-think. Until this season the most talked about feature of the Ness of Brodgar complex was still the extremely wide 'Great Wall' that ran across the ness from loch to loch at the site's northern end. Now attention has shifted to the 'cathedral', probably the largest Neolithic building yet found in Europe (or at least the UK), stretching across a large area of the site and disappearing under the present Lochview buildings. This has features resembling Maes Howe, to which it is aligned. This
year they did a small trial excavation on the other side of Lochview and found the 'lesser wall of Brodgar'. This isn't quite as wide as the 'Great Wall' but stands at least 1.4m high on the southern face - it has only been dug into a little, and only on that side, so could go down much further. This is at right angles to the Brodgar standing stone pair that sit in the Lochview garden, and if it cuts across the ness in similar fashion to the 'Great Wall' looks likely to bisect the area between them [I still suspect something of the gatepost pair on a rise at the Brodgar farm itself, even if they are only replacements or show where something could damage the plough]. The feeling is that this marks the southern edge of the Ness of Brodgar complex. If Kokna-Cumming is a tomb what is its relationship to the complex [with The Howe in mind are we sure that Big Howe was only a greenfield broch?[ and what would it mean to the proponents of a living/dead dichotomy for the main Stenness monuments ? Or could it be that the mound is not a tomb either but yet anothe addition to the Ness of Brodgar menagerie ?
The antiquarians recorded quaint names for the main Brodgar monuments [Broidgar in an early newspaper account]. These have been dismissed as fanciful inventions but could be Anglicisations or translations of proper Orcadian names, as has happened
with the likes of Mine Howe and Towerhill. The Standing Stones of Stenness was the Circle of the Moon. The large hearth is formed by four stones of standing stone dimensions and runs N/S E/W but as presently setup the 'altar'/'dolmen' stone setting is at a slight angle. Perhaps that is because as is hypothesised the latter had been used to frame Maes Howe. The Watch Stone, along with a large stub found during roadmaking, is thought to be perhaps part of the SE arc of another circle [call it the Watch Circle]. I haven't heard of any further stones being located by underwater survey and so assume this to have been even more incomplete than the Stones of Stenness [the current position on that circle] or been extensively robbed for a later site. The Comet Stone is a stone arrangement but always referred to as a standing stone because the original surveyor/antiquarian never completed his investigations. Next is the Ring of Brodgar, alias the Circle of the Moon. Finally up on the hill is the Ring [/Rim] of Bookan, a henge monument called the Circle of Stars. It has been noted that this is of similar dimensions to the Stones of Stenness and also has a central setting. Unfortunately a powerful 19th century laird adapted this to be the seat of his Thing, so its original complexion is unknown. The Comet Stone is the tallest surviving part on the mound of a NW/SE aligned setting, an unequal tee being obvious. To the NW it points to the Ring of Bookan, the Ring of Brodgar lies in the extended NW/SW quadrant. NE points towards the Staney Hill standing stone and to the Henge multi-period site of which it is likely a part [apart from a talk by the student involved there doesn't even appear to be even grey literature yet - hopefully when he completes his thesis...]. SE probably points to the 'Watch Circle', but more importantly the short arm of the tee frames the Ness of Brodgar perfectly [and probably the Stones of Stenness beyond too, though I couldn't see that far with what I had]. Could it be that the Comet Stone site is like a grand surveyor's tool ??
Labels: Comet, Henge, Ness of Brodgar, Watch Stone
Friday, August 14, 2009
COMET STONE
This site shows how size isn't everything. There was a complicated set of ceremonies surrounding matrimony involving all three rings and another Bookan site. Though nothing is recorded for this place, if the early name of Ulie Stane comes from
dialect ullie 'oil' might I suggest a reference to chrism and perhaps ceremonies surrounding childbirth ? Note that this was the way to the Ring of Brodgar on the old track that ran through the "sacred monuments", making it a gatekeeper kind-of - in the 19th century gentlemen still doffed their caps to it.
[My stone measurements are likely accurate but the distances between them and across the mound are as near as I could manage alone. {NMRS converted to metric} ]
The Comet Stone aligns NW/SE and sits in a depression presently measuring 2.7m by 2.3m and 20cm deep. The main stone stands 1.88m at the SE end {1.75m} and 1.97m at the NW, depth 27-28cm {29cm}, width 70cm at base increasing to 73 {76cm}.
Measured height differs enough from NMRS to indicate surface erosion [there is a long scrape in the northern half too]. "Lines on the Landscape, Circles from the Sky" by Trevor Garnham gives an alignment to Maes Howe. but unless my compass reading is absolutely useless is incorrect this is not so, explaining why the meticulous antiquarians would miss such a thing- the alignment would seem, rather, to carry on to the Ring of Bookan [though this is on the hillslope invisible from here unless it stood higher formerly or had a superstructure such as a stone ring or posts] and perhaps ? to something roughly in the Dowsgarth region in the other direction. This NW/SE alignment is shared by the Stanerandy Tumulus (for a long while thought to be standing stones) and the Deepdale Stones, both on Mainland, and the Langsteeen on Rousay - we know so few s.s. orientations that there could well be more. The relationship with the recorded 'stubs' is striking, forming a geometric unequal tee-formation.
Following the alignment 2.97m {2.67m} brings you to the western edge of Stub i and from that 2.75m takes you to the eastern edge of Stub ii. These define the mound's axes. Axis A , defined by Comet to Stub i 'W', is perpendicular to Axis B which is along the line of the two stubs (a NE/SW alignment shared with the Watch Stone stump and the Spurdagrove s.s. pair). Using 'mound' for the area currently left rough then the mound is 16~16.5m along Axis A and ~11m along Axis B - NMRS gives approximate size of 13.7x12.8 and ~80cm high. At the edge, 6.5m from the Comet Stone's SE end only a few inches away [<5deg] from where Axis A meets the SE periphery, there can be seen the top of another stone, call it Stub iii, that is probably like to Stub i except that only the very top is showing - careful ground prodding proves the top extends beyond the visible surface and I imagine if more were exposed the axial fit might be closer still (Stub iii is level with the grass and has a smooth appearance, not layered like the other three recorded stones). Similarly a few inches off Axis B , though roughly a metre short of where this meets the NE periphery, there is a roughly rectangular prostrate Slab 3.98m from Stub i 'E'. There's a slight space underneath where the lower surface has 'flaked' loose fragments [I presume they are from this leastways]. Careful search failed to disclose any further stones, so the fact that these appear to mark the axes ends is fascinating (though what of the other ends ?).
Used the 10x zoom on my digital camera [380mm equivalent] to examine three of the directions - for even if the indication from the stubs to the SW was a particular one of the lesser mounds without knowledge of any specific importance it is only presently referrable to chance. Looking along the Comet Stone in conjunction with stub i the Ness of Brodgar is perfectly framed, like looking down the barrel of a gun. From the Comet Stone alone to the SE, apart from the Orphir area, the only possibilty is the putative lost stone circle incorporating the Watch Stone. Viewing along the stubs to the NE confirms that it has Staney Hill in its sights, the standing stone being fractionally left of centre with the 'new' site of Henge to its right [both sides of the Grimeston road]. Disappointed to find the white cottage in the NW direction, which means disregard my previous photo info as the Ring of Bookan is on the LH side of the cottage to its left ! As this alignment passes to the east of the Ring of Brodgar I had read this as an ignoring that circle, but someone could instead read the two axes NW and SW directions marking out the area about it instead.
Stub i 73 x 23 and 16 & 19cm exposed height at ends, depth unknown - evidence of post-mediaeval [?modern] break at NE end [Stub i 'E']
Stub ii 29 x 30 and 29cm exposed height, depth unknown [still whole ??]
Stub iii minimum 20cm down in mound, surface 23 [19 visible] by 15cm, depth unknown
Slab almost entirely exposed, 40x36 cm and 6cm thick at least (stone fragments in 4cm space beneath it)
This site shows how size isn't everything. There was a complicated set of ceremonies surrounding matrimony involving all three rings and another Bookan site. Though nothing is recorded for this place, if the early name of Ulie Stane comes from
dialect ullie 'oil' might I suggest a reference to chrism and perhaps ceremonies surrounding childbirth ? Note that this was the way to the Ring of Brodgar on the old track that ran through the "sacred monuments", making it a gatekeeper kind-of - in the 19th century gentlemen still doffed their caps to it.
[My stone measurements are likely accurate but the distances between them and across the mound are as near as I could manage alone. {NMRS converted to metric} ]
The Comet Stone aligns NW/SE and sits in a depression presently measuring 2.7m by 2.3m and 20cm deep. The main stone stands 1.88m at the SE end {1.75m} and 1.97m at the NW, depth 27-28cm {29cm}, width 70cm at base increasing to 73 {76cm}.
Measured height differs enough from NMRS to indicate surface erosion [there is a long scrape in the northern half too]. "Lines on the Landscape, Circles from the Sky" by Trevor Garnham gives an alignment to Maes Howe. but unless my compass reading is absolutely useless is incorrect this is not so, explaining why the meticulous antiquarians would miss such a thing- the alignment would seem, rather, to carry on to the Ring of Bookan [though this is on the hillslope invisible from here unless it stood higher formerly or had a superstructure such as a stone ring or posts] and perhaps ? to something roughly in the Dowsgarth region in the other direction. This NW/SE alignment is shared by the Stanerandy Tumulus (for a long while thought to be standing stones) and the Deepdale Stones, both on Mainland, and the Langsteeen on Rousay - we know so few s.s. orientations that there could well be more. The relationship with the recorded 'stubs' is striking, forming a geometric unequal tee-formation.
Following the alignment 2.97m {2.67m} brings you to the western edge of Stub i and from that 2.75m takes you to the eastern edge of Stub ii. These define the mound's axes. Axis A , defined by Comet to Stub i 'W', is perpendicular to Axis B which is along the line of the two stubs (a NE/SW alignment shared with the Watch Stone stump and the Spurdagrove s.s. pair). Using 'mound' for the area currently left rough then the mound is 16~16.5m along Axis A and ~11m along Axis B - NMRS gives approximate size of 13.7x12.8 and ~80cm high. At the edge, 6.5m from the Comet Stone's SE end only a few inches away [<5deg] from where Axis A meets the SE periphery, there can be seen the top of another stone, call it Stub iii, that is probably like to Stub i except that only the very top is showing - careful ground prodding proves the top extends beyond the visible surface and I imagine if more were exposed the axial fit might be closer still (Stub iii is level with the grass and has a smooth appearance, not layered like the other three recorded stones). Similarly a few inches off Axis B , though roughly a metre short of where this meets the NE periphery, there is a roughly rectangular prostrate Slab 3.98m from Stub i 'E'. There's a slight space underneath where the lower surface has 'flaked' loose fragments [I presume they are from this leastways]. Careful search failed to disclose any further stones, so the fact that these appear to mark the axes ends is fascinating (though what of the other ends ?).
Used the 10x zoom on my digital camera [380mm equivalent] to examine three of the directions - for even if the indication from the stubs to the SW was a particular one of the lesser mounds without knowledge of any specific importance it is only presently referrable to chance. Looking along the Comet Stone in conjunction with stub i the Ness of Brodgar is perfectly framed, like looking down the barrel of a gun. From the Comet Stone alone to the SE, apart from the Orphir area, the only possibilty is the putative lost stone circle incorporating the Watch Stone. Viewing along the stubs to the NE confirms that it has Staney Hill in its sights, the standing stone being fractionally left of centre with the 'new' site of Henge to its right [both sides of the Grimeston road]. Disappointed to find the white cottage in the NW direction, which means disregard my previous photo info as the Ring of Bookan is on the LH side of the cottage to its left ! As this alignment passes to the east of the Ring of Brodgar I had read this as an ignoring that circle, but someone could instead read the two axes NW and SW directions marking out the area about it instead.
Stub i 73 x 23 and 16 & 19cm exposed height at ends, depth unknown - evidence of post-mediaeval [?modern] break at NE end [Stub i 'E']
Stub ii 29 x 30 and 29cm exposed height, depth unknown [still whole ??]
Stub iii minimum 20cm down in mound, surface 23 [19 visible] by 15cm, depth unknown
Slab almost entirely exposed, 40x36 cm and 6cm thick at least (stone fragments in 4cm space beneath it)
Labels: Henge, Ness of Brodgar, Ring of Bookan, Ring of Brodgar, Staneyhill, Stoney Hill, Watch Stone
