Stonehenge News: soundwaves, long exposure, 1m visitors, and good henging weather

Some Stonehenge news….[1]

19 out of 20 know where Stonehenge is

According to a survey reported in various newspapers:

One in five could not find the seaside resort of Blackpool on a map while the location of Stonehenge was a mystery to one in 20 people. When asked to name England’s biggest mountain, 58 per cent answered either Mount Everest, Ben Nevis or Snowdon.

• Trending: If you’re staying at home this year, you’ll clearly need a map – This Britain – UK – The Independent

Stonehenge gets 1,099,656 visitors in 2011

• Sarsen.org – Tracking the Sarsen route to Stonehenge: Stonehenge 19th Most Popular Attraction in Britain With Over a Million Visitors

Clicking through to the ALVA ((Association of Leading Visitor Attractions) website, I found that the Henge is the sixth most popular attraction for which there is no free entryPresumably the opena access at Solstices are not included). There were 1,099,656 visitors in 2011, up 9% on previous years.

Stonehenge – good weather for henge-building

• Sarsen.org – Tracking the Sarsen route to Stonehenge: Stonehenge And The Climatic Optimum

More on the bluestones and Port Saeson

Brian John’s blog reports a Times article which stresses “the great variety of bluestone types” and points out that “none of the four remaining visible rhyolite stones match those at Pont Saeson – the supposed “quarry site” in Wales.

• Stonehenge Thoughts: The Times revisits the bluestone issue

Stonehenge design was ‘inspired by sounds’

Another item for the ‘Theories about Stonehenge’ page – the idea here is that Stonehenge was inspired by the sounds created by two pipers or flautists playing together.

If the two musicians were a few feet apart, then the overlapping music would create louder spots and quieter spots in the surrounding area. If plotted these would resemble ‘the spokes of a wheel’ – or the positioning of the upright stones and space of Stonehenge.

• BBC News – Stonehenge design was ‘inspired by sounds’

And:

• Video: The Mystery of Stonehenge – Archeoacoustics – The Sounds of the Past – Steven Waller Ph.D.

Clonehenge – the founder speaks

The web-mistress of one of my very favorite sites on the internet Clonehenge has written a couple of posts about the site for ‘The Heritage Journal’. Highly recommended reading for Replica-henge enthusiasts.

• Clonehenge: “I kept thinking, a theoretical child who decides to do a report on Stonehenge replicas would count on me to have them all” « The Heritage Journal

Robert Sheer’s Stonehenge Photo

Robert Kawika Sheer does long, single exposures photographs of well known buildings with an odd shadow effect which I don’t understand at all.

Anyway there’s a great one of Stonehenge.

• SheerEntertainment.com

‘Avenger’ to explain Achill-henge puzzle

The builder of Achill-henge the ‘protest’ henge near Galway is asked by the court to explain the henge. An intriguing thought…

• ‘Avenger’ to explain Achill-henge puzzle – National News – Independent.ie

Lectures – The more you dig, the less you know: Devilish Mysteries at the former MoD Estate Offices, Durrington | Salisbury & South Wiltshire Museum

• Lectures – The more you dig, the less you know: Devilish Mysteries at the former MoD Estate Offices, Durrington | Salisbury & South Wiltshire Museum

The Mash on the Henge

The satire site ‘The Daily Mash’ asks ‘Who gives a toss why Stonehenge was built?’ and reports that:

Academics urged to end indeterminable debate about dull stone ring

• The Daily Mash – Who gives a toss why Stonehenge was built? – warning: the Daily Mash is very funny but sometimes has some very rude words

Footnotes

1. I post Stonehenge news items as they come up on the Salisbury and Stonehenge facebook page. If you ‘Like’ the page the posts will come up in your feed reader [↩]