Recently, there have been quite a few archaeological revelations coming to light from the result of a wildfire that swept the moors of Fylingdales, N. Yorkshire. One of the items discovered is a “unique” carved stone, thought to be 4,000 years old. An article about the stone (from CULTURE 24) is below but before reading that, take just a moment to look at something similar from a long, long way away:
While Rupert and I were making ‘Standing with Stones’, when it came to filming Long Meg and her Daughters in Cumbria, the point came when Rupert needed to say something about the wonderful carvings on the stone known as ‘Long Meg’ herself. Please watch the video:
So, when I talk about something “a long, long way away”, I’m not talking about Cumbria – I mean Columbia.
Just so you can make your own mind up, here is the photograph that Rupert took of the Kogi ‘Map Stone’ in the jungles of Columbia alongside the photo of the stone recently uncovered on the North Yorkshire Moors. You will note, I’m sure, that Neil Redfern, English Heritage Inspector of Ancient Monuments, has also come to the idea that the Fylingdales stone is a map.
LEFT: the Kogi 'Map Stone', Columbia. RIGHT the Fylingdales stone, N. Yorks.
ARTICLE AT CULTURE 24
Archaeologists are pondering one of the most intriguing archaeological discoveries for some years after a fire revealed a unique carved stone thought to be 4,000 years old.
The find came to light after a blaze in 2003 at Fylingdales, near Whitby, consumed two and a half square kilometres of heather moorland before being brought under control by hundreds of firefighters and a water-dumping helicopter.
However, in the fire’s aftermath archaeologists were astonished to find a vast array of archaeological remains – uncovered by the intensity of the blaze, which burnt away much of the peat.
“The fire had a devastating impact, but it also revealed an astonishing archaeological landscape,” said Neil Redfern, English Heritage Inspector of Ancient Monuments.
“When we stepped over the scorched terrain and reviewed aerial photographs, we were confronted by a vast number of features we had no idea existed before. To find such well preserved signs of settlement and human activity over such a long period in such a small area is amazing.”
The area yielded Mesolithic flints, 185 carved rocks (three times the previous recorded number), old trackways and evidence of the 17th century alum industry. There were even slit trenches from the last war.
But of the many finds the most interesting and significant is the carved stone – adorned with a carved zigzag design around a central feature, which resembles an angular hour-glass.
Archaeologists believe the stone to be unique among examples of late Neolithic/Bronze Age rock art, which is usually dominated by curvilinear cup and ring marks. Instead, the designs on the stone recall those found on materials such as beaker pottery – opening up a wealth of interpretive possibilities.
“We laser scanned the stone so we could rotate it and look at it from different angles,” explained Redfern. “We’re now thinking the stone is possibly some kind of map – the laser technology means we can see a landscape with mountains and sky.”
The task of understanding and interpreting is ongoing although Mr Redfern admits that experts have few clues to go on.
“The great thing is that with an image like this you can come up with all sorts of theories,” he explained. “With rock art there aren’t that many people that really know, so we can all enjoy the experience of working out what it actually means.”
Although examined, photographed and laser scanned, the stone was left in situ in the ground along with many of the found items. The unusual step of leaving it in place is part of an ambitious project to restore the rich ecology of the moor, which is part of a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
“I would say ask ‘why do you need artefacts to go into a museum?’ Someone put it there in the past, so who am I to remove it? To me it’s not an artefact if it’s removed from its context – it’s part of that landscape,” added Redfern.
The restoration of the moorland has been enabled by a £200,000 grant from Defra, under a Countryside Stewardship Scheme Special Project. As well as restoring the moor’s dynamic range of habitats for wildlife and plants, the re-vegetation is also intended to protect the archaeology beneath the ground by preventing erosion.
Mr Redfern believes this innovative idea will prevent the rich archaeology of the area being destroyed. “The success of this approach is clear to see on the ground,” he observed. “It will serve as a template for how agencies and landowners handle similar disasters elsewhere in the country.”
READ ORIGINAL ARTICLE AT CULTURE 24
