[Stones] Ian Honeywood (Stonedowser)

[belshade]

Interesting comment David, on climate deterioration between say 3000 and
1000 BC. At some point in that period a real era of global (?) cooling seems
to have occurred. You mention Santorini. Another culprit was Hekla in
Iceland. According to the dendrochronologists (like Prof. Mike Baillie)
Santorini/Thera went up in 1628 BC and there were 2 eruptions of Hekla
within the period in question - in 2345 and 1159 BC. Of the two, Hekla would
have had a more devastating effect on the British Isles than Santorini.

Archaeologists have found evidence of Neolithic period cultivation under
peat bogs in Ireland and Scotland – I think possibly Dartmoor too.
Increasing rain and cold forced farmers to move off the plains and to clear
the less profitable but better drained upland slopes.

It is a fascinating topic. Hekla events could have forced a southward
migration of northern peoples while Santorini/Hekla could have driven some
Mediterranean peoples northwards in search of a new home.

There would seem to be a possibility that Middle Eastern deserts could have
developed some time during this period as the rains shifted and some farmers
from those areas migrated to Northern Europe.  Certainly the builders and
users of the British stone monuments would have been affected and new ideas
and styles would have emerged.

Anyone got any ideas on this theme?

Desmond.



-----Original Message-----
From: stones-bounces at henge.org.uk [mailto:stones-bounces at henge.org.uk]On
Behalf Of David Swindlehurst
Sent: Wednesday, 28 March 2007 8:04 p.m.
To: The Stones Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Stones] Ian Honeywood (Stonedowser)

My knowledge of prehistory could be written in large letters on the back of
a small stamp, but there is no doubt in my mind that my local Bronze Age
monument (the Bleasdale Circle) was constructed by people who thought that
the "good times" were here to stay, and who got a nasty shock when around
1760BC a deteriorating climate got a push over the edge by the explosion at
Santorini. The whole world suffered the same effect. For Bleasdale read
Dartmoor (and everywhere else).

DMS

Ric wrote:
breathtaking!

what happened to Dartmoor - why did it become moorland - it was once arable?

thanks,

ric


Chris Tweed <chris at henge.org.uk> <mailto:chris at henge.org.uk>  wrote:

On 27 Mar 2007, at 16:12, Ric wrote:

> Sad news
>
> and a wow ~ http://www.stonedowser.com/downtor.jpg

Yes, that's a wonderful photo of Down Tor that Ian took. One of the
many places I visited due mainly to being inspired to go by reading
Ian's emails and web site.


Chris
--
Chris Tweed
www.prehistoric.org.uk <http://www.prehistoric.org.uk>
www.flickr.com/photos/ctweed <http://www.flickr.com/photos/ctweed>
squonkyblog.prehistoric.org.uk




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