19 replies to this topic

[Anew]

Possibly of interest in this context : ) Kerala's megalithic monuments linked to the Mediterranean? ( . Also ) Wikipedia on excarnation ( and ) Tibetan sky burials (


If their mortuary beliefs involved curating bones, (in ossuaries or long-barrows), some method of excarnation beyond (flint) butchery seems to be implied . The use of large birds such as vultures might have resulted in the loss or scattering of small bones ~ if these felt hungry enough to eat fingers/toes, which they may not have . Accounts of Tibetan practices have it that the birds observed a size-based hierarchy, and that the vultures were not always hungry ; and Wikipedia's excarnation piece mentions that sites where finger and toe bones are found exclusively, (which may not apply here), are considered to be detritus of the practice . Also, if it needs restating, worms and flies will leave all bones . If the former, the archaeological record may be able to provide areas near the enclosures or barrows where numerous shallow graves were dug and exhumed

As i read it the quote from Julian Thomas's book, (please see post #4), has it that the palisade ~ which in the figures is not closed, but open ~ seems to have been more significant to them than the mortuary structure itself . This would make sense if the palisade were portalled, and if the portal, as a symbolic passage into a realm of the dead, were its focal aspect . An open palisade also invites interpretation as a liminal zone, where ritual preparation of the dead may have been practiced


Vis-à-vis: "We base a hypothesis on evidence not lack of it ." That's wonderful, as a quote . I think it reflects a basic philosophical tension in many fields : Where those who have (and are trusted with) direct access to the evidence and experiment will come to feel cautious, (particularly in a field where a great deal of incautious work was done) ~ to seek to belay thinking among their own which could cause haste or belief to interfere with field work ~ and (as a consequence) to disparage the efforts of outsiders who would toss in from the periphery . But at least some of these experts write enjoyable books that are aimed at (or circulate in) this periphery ; and which can result in speculative, "close enough for jazz", theory returning to them . A semi-anonymous, enthusiast website such as this is a good place to mix it up

[tiompan]

Anew, on 22 March 2010 - 00:10, said:

Vis-à-vis: "We base a hypothesis on evidence not lack of it ." That's wonderful, as a quote . I think it reflects a basic philosophical tension in many fields : Where those who have (and are trusted with) direct access to the evidence and experiment will come to feel cautious, (particularly in a field where a great deal of incautious work was done) ~ to seek to belay thinking among their own which could cause haste or belief to interfere with field work ~ and (as a consequence) to disparage the efforts of outsiders who would toss in from the periphery . But at least some of these experts write enjoyable books that are aimed at (or circulate in) this periphery ; and which can result in speculative, "close enough for jazz", theory returning to them . A semi-anonymous, enthusiast website such as this is a good place to mix it up

Anew , good post , despite rarely agreeing with your conclusions I do enjoy them but never reply as they are  genuinely speculative , as suggested , but neither  entailing some deficency in those who may oppose them or telling us how we should think .
"We base a hypothesis on evidence not lack of it ."  was not a quote , it was my response to a particular circumstance . In the same post was a comment that would surely fit your appeal "It is possible that excarnation was carried out in prehistoric Britain "

George

[Anew]

Thanks, Cheers!

[kevin.b]

Could I just add a thought?
Something We all can agree upon is that the capstones are absurdly large, great effort of whatever sort must have been employed to excavate and transport these stones to be used.
WHY?
My thought is to do with what the stone can hold within it, on a temporary basis as the birds and flies clear off the flesh as a body that is left on top of the stone.
I have tried climbing up onto these things, and it's not easy, which made me think of staddle stones, they were designed to stop rats been able to clamber up them and the grain stores were built on top of them.

If the bodies were kept on top of the stone, then the none physical SOUL for want of a better word may have been absorbed into the crystaline structure of the stone.
Any crystal healer will describe the ability of crystals to absorb ceratin energies( frequencies)
The stone may need to be of sufficient quantity to hold the soul until the moon arrives to do it's alterations locally?
just a thought.
kevin

[snapshot]

thank you all for the input i have enjoyed reading the answers to my question.