4 ms·

I walked among the stones at Stonehenge about a year ago - was a great experience. I was particularly interested to learn that the focus of that famous site was

I walked among the stones at Stonehenge about a year ago - was a great experience. I was particularly interested to learn that the focus of that famous site was Midwinter not the Summer Solstice. Warren Field, based on this article, seemed to have a similar seasonal focus for resetting the calendar. At Stonehenge, the reasoning is that a midwinter, inter-tribal celebration brought neighbouring tribes together at a time when they were not planting, harvesting, or warring. The Winter solstice was also, perhaps, a time to honour the dead. Of course, there's a lot more to Stonehenge and I assume to Warren Field. But I wonder if there are some parallels to be drawn?

arethuza 13y ago
"The Winter solstice was also, perhaps, a time to honour the dead." The ~5000 year old Maeshowe on Orkney is a great example of this - only around the Winter solstice does the sun shine down the entrance passage and illuminate the central chamber: http://www.maeshowe.co.uk/ http://www.maeshowe.co.uk/ http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/propertyresults/propertyoverview.htm?PropID=PL_205 http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/propertyresults/property... Page with videos of the setting sun shining into Maeshowe: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maeshowe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maeshowe
lostlogin 13y ago
On the off chance you haven't already done so and aren't aware - try Avebury. I liked it even more. When I was in the UK, any place I was at for more than about a week I bought an ordinance survey map of (think that's what they are called). I saw so many small stone circles, cemetery's, churches, roman walls and building, ruins, canals, etc, it was like a world existed just outside the everyday one. Most memorable was biking to an old american airbase. Ruined buildings, lampposts, but all the ground was grass with sheep wondering around. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avebury http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avebury
- JacobAldridge 13y ago
  Stonehenge was literally our last day living in London - and also the day I learned about Avebury! Would love to explore that part of British history more next time I'm in that part of the world.
- prawn 13y ago
  The two are easily done in part of a day too. Grab the Wikipedia page and read it as you wander around or find somewhere to sit. Stonehenge is a far more touristy experience, but more concentrated and quite impressive. Avebury is good fun to walk around, across roads, through gates, around buildings, etc.
saalweachter 13y ago
The winter solstice may have also been practical. The question calendars are typically trying to answer is "When should we plant?". Harvesting is easy, you harvest when the crops are ready. Summer solstice is shortly after the start of growing season even in Scotland, so if you recalibrate your calendar with the summer solstice you'll have nearly a full year of clock skew to contend with. If you count from the winter solstice, you only have maybe a third of a year of clock skew.

arethuza 13y ago

"The Winter solstice was also, perhaps, a time to honour the dead." The ~5000 year old Maeshowe on Orkney is a great example of this - only around the Winter solstice does the sun shine down the entrance passage and illuminate the central chamber: http://www.maeshowe.co.uk/ http://www.maeshowe.co.uk/ http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/propertyresults/propertyoverview.htm?PropID=PL_205 http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/propertyresults/property... Page with videos of the setting sun shining into Maeshowe: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maeshowe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maeshowe

lostlogin 13y ago

On the off chance you haven't already done so and aren't aware - try Avebury. I liked it even more. When I was in the UK, any place I was at for more than about a week I bought an ordinance survey map of (think that's what they are called). I saw so many small stone circles, cemetery's, churches, roman walls and building, ruins, canals, etc, it was like a world existed just outside the everyday one. Most memorable was biking to an old american airbase. Ruined buildings, lampposts, but all the ground was grass with sheep wondering around. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avebury http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avebury

JacobAldridge 13y ago
Stonehenge was literally our last day living in London - and also the day I learned about Avebury! Would love to explore that part of British history more next time I'm in that part of the world.
prawn 13y ago
The two are easily done in part of a day too. Grab the Wikipedia page and read it as you wander around or find somewhere to sit. Stonehenge is a far more touristy experience, but more concentrated and quite impressive. Avebury is good fun to walk around, across roads, through gates, around buildings, etc.

saalweachter 13y ago

The winter solstice may have also been practical. The question calendars are typically trying to answer is "When should we plant?". Harvesting is easy, you harvest when the crops are ready. Summer solstice is shortly after the start of growing season even in Scotland, so if you recalibrate your calendar with the summer solstice you'll have nearly a full year of clock skew to contend with. If you count from the winter solstice, you only have maybe a third of a year of clock skew.