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Interestingly, other early monuments in the locality - such as Rothiemay recumbent stone circle - have been supposed to align with astronomical events and, cons

Interestingly, other early monuments in the locality - such as Rothiemay recumbent stone circle - have been supposed to align with astronomical events and, consequently, evidence of early horology. http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/details/1114898/ http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/details/1114898/ http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/17820/digital_images/rothiemay/ http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/17820/digital_images/ro... This is a later monument, but to my mind still an indication of "pre-historic science" - and just how advanced it could be. As an aside, I was always pleasingly intrigued by the fact that Rothiemay was furthermore the birthplace of James Ferguson... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Ferguson_(1710–1776) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Ferguson_(1710–1776)

arethuza 13y ago
One of my favourite ancient artefacts in that area is the Tap o' Noth - a large vitrified fort - the rocks making up the huge walls apparently having been intentionally melted: http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/17169/details/tap+o+noth/ http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/17169/details/tap+o+not... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tap_o%27_Noth http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tap_o%27_Noth The Tap formed my own mental image of Tolkien's Weathertop :-)
- timlukins 13y ago
  Exactly my own visualisation of Weathertop when growing up in the area! Personally, I think vitrification was a product of accident/attack rather than direct intent...
  - arethuza 13y ago
    I was going by this Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitrified_fort http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitrified_fort "Most archaeologists now consider that vitrified forts are the product of deliberate destruction either following the capture of the site by an enemy force or by the occupants at the end of its active life as an act of ritual closure" I suspect the real answer is that nobody really has any idea how or why this was done - which makes it all the more fascinating :-)

arethuza 13y ago

One of my favourite ancient artefacts in that area is the Tap o' Noth - a large vitrified fort - the rocks making up the huge walls apparently having been intentionally melted: http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/17169/details/tap+o+noth/ http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/17169/details/tap+o+not... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tap_o%27_Noth http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tap_o%27_Noth The Tap formed my own mental image of Tolkien's Weathertop :-)

timlukins 13y ago
Exactly my own visualisation of Weathertop when growing up in the area! Personally, I think vitrification was a product of accident/attack rather than direct intent...
- arethuza 13y ago
  I was going by this Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitrified_fort http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitrified_fort "Most archaeologists now consider that vitrified forts are the product of deliberate destruction either following the capture of the site by an enemy force or by the occupants at the end of its active life as an act of ritual closure" I suspect the real answer is that nobody really has any idea how or why this was done - which makes it all the more fascinating :-)