13 replies to this topic

[nena]

i'm working on my dissertation at the moment on carrowmore
i have lists of books and websites and just wondering if anyone
would have any advice on the site itself

[Robert Henvell]

Four Winds seems to have considerable knowledge on the topic.The scribe is having major problems with the chronology of the megalith builders,because the dates infer that the first known megalithics were built in Ireland.There may be some underwater on the mainland of Europe??The Y chromosome and mtDNA really complicate the issue.If and when this one solves its problems the data will be passed on.There is an African "joker" in the Y chromosome information,the Basques are closely related to the Irish,but do not have large megaliths and there is a genetic link,which suggests that people from Ireland treked to Scandinavia in the tenth millennium BCE,when Ireland was thinnly popualated[genetics is still in its infancy],but the link appears to predate the first megaliths by a fair margin.Good luck with your disseration.

[FourWinds]

Hi nena

Carrowmore is one of my favourite places in Ireland. What sort of advice to you need about this true wonder of megalithica?

As a slight digression - The Basque region does have megaliths. How's this for a pant-wetter!?

http://www.guilfin.n.../?id=pxINET2446

and this:

http://www.guilfin.n.../?id=pxINET2445


The Basques, Irish and the Morrocan Berbers (sp?) are all related in antiquity. They are amongst the oldest bloodstock in Europe (I know Morrocco isn't in Europe :-). The Basque language is the oldest in Europe.

Traditional Basque saying (roughly translated):

Before God was God and the stones were stones the Basques were the Basques.

[Robert Henvell]

Four Winds,
This is going to make life easier.Thank you.Can you please provide a few more details about the Basques megaliths--the earliest estimated date of construction,the approximate number and a couple of references.
Cheers,
Bob

[FourWinds]

For the Basque stuff I do not know all that much ... but I know a man who does. I'll drop him a line and get back to you.

There will be some coverage of the Basque region in Julian Cope's forthcoming book The Megalithic European - due  in the shops from October 18th.

[Robert Henvell]

Four Winds,
Thank you for the help.The search engines did not provide any useful data,but stone pages megalinks to Iberia provided a tonne of information.So you do not have to write to your friend.
Cheers,
Bob

[FourWinds]

Well, if there's anything specific you need to know just mention it and I'll try to find out. My friend has probably seen more of the Iberian megaliths than anybody else. He spent several years wandering around little villages asking shepherds about them. Consequently he got to see ones that no one knew existed.

On a different note, I'm off to Sligo again this weekend. Although it's not what I'm actually going to see I always have to stop at Carrowmore, especially if the weather is clear.

[nena]

thanks for the replies
just wondering is it a popular belief that Goran Burnhult's dates of the monuments are true? i visited the site 2 years ago and thought it was amazing. i couldn't imagine doing a big project on anything else. i'll be visting again at the end of october and dragging my family along for a bit of culture.

[nena]

by the way, how can i get my hands on burnhult, goran, The illustrated Guide to the megalithic cemetery of carrowmore, co. sligo, 2001?

[FourWinds]

The book is available from the visitors' centre. It's only small and costs just a few euros.

The dates are now accepted by the establishment. Well, the majority of them are accepted by the majority of the establishment :-)

I didn't make the Sligo trip last weekend, but I'll be there this weekend. If I do stop at Carrowmore I could pick up a copy of the booklet for you, just in case it's closed in October, but can't make promises.

Contact me via megalithomania if you wish.

[nena]

can anyone tell me the opening hours of carrowmore?

[Robert Henvell]

You will probablyneed a genetic reference or more for your dissertation.The best one that the scribe has been able to locate is by David Goldstein.
            http://popgen.biol.ucl.ac.uk
  If you access the above and click messages,scroll down to number 50.Right click on the 50 and you will get a pdf.It is only six pages,but it will provide a strong genetic component for your paper.Enjoy.

[nena]

thanks for the help Robert

[Robert Henvell]

G Burnhults dates are deemed to be equivocal.When he first presented them,they were questioned.The association between the charcoal from beneath the tomb and the the tomb its self have not been definately established.At a subsequent session with his peers,he was appreciably more constrained about the dates that he had previously quoted.A number of people have asked him to date the bones in the tomb.The above information came from an archaeologist,who attended the 2001 and 2003 presentations.It seems to be a wait and see!!