Seahenge

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Seahenge is a 1998 discovered by winter storms at bay The Wash exposed archaeological locality on the coast of the English county of Norfolk . The term is commonly used and also for tourist purposes, the official name is Holme I , after the nearby settlement Holme-next-the-Sea . The remains of a burial mound immediately to the east are called Holme II .

history

The complex was built in the early Bronze Age , but evidence of pottery shards found there was also used in the Middle and Late Bronze Age. It consists of 55 split oak trunks arranged in a circle and a large oak stump standing on its head in the center of the circle. The central oak was dendrochronologically dated to 2050 BC. Dated to the spring of 2049 BC, the trunks of the outer ring. Since the complex is reminiscent of the world-famous Stonehenge , the complex, which archaeologists run as Holme I , was baptized "Seahenge". Strictly speaking, this designation is misleading, as Holme I is not a henge , i.e. an earthwork delimited by an earthen wall and a ditch , but rather a Timber Circle .

At the time of its construction, there was a marshland protected from the sea by dunes at this point . Triggered by climate change, it became increasingly wetter and began to bog . The deposition of plant residues such as rushes or alder eventually led to a covering by a layer of peat , which largely prevented further decay of the wood. Eventually the area was covered by the inland migrating dunes. After these had moved further inland, the protective sand and subsequently also the peat layer were successively removed by tides and storms, until the system itself came to light again.

The exact purpose of the facility is unknown and is subject to speculation. Use for cultural or religious, perhaps also for astronomical purposes is to be assumed. The highlight of this system is shown by the central stump inserted overhead. Such inverted, i.e. reversed structures, in similar contexts, stand for the special compared to the ordinary . An originally assumed significance of the stump with its upwardly protruding roots as an object protruding from the underworld or its use for the decarnation of important personalities appears less likely.

Discovery and Fate

Was discovered Holme I in spring 1998 had found by a resident named John Lorimer, who hereof immediately north of a Bronze Age ax and suspected arising looking out of the sand wooden stumps could also date from this period. This was confirmed in September of the same year by summoned archaeologists from Norfolk Landscape Archeology , who also immediately had the first investigations carried out.

Lynn Museum

Within a short period of time, the decision was made to dig up the remains. Two aspects played a role here. On the one hand, the pieces of wood, deprived of their protective peat cover, were exposed to external influences such as salty water, the alternating moistening and drying caused by ebb and flow or damage from drilling mussels, which would sooner or later have led to their destruction. On the other hand, they saw the danger of an emerging tourism, which in an area that falls under the Ramsar Convention as a protected wetland and site of special scientific interest , was regarded as incompatible with nature conservation. Although residents of Holme-next-the-Sea had advocated the site's whereabouts, archaeologists from the Norfolk Archaeological Unit began excavating in May 1999 with financial support from English Heritage . A delay occurred when a group of environmentalists and druids tried, ultimately unsuccessfully, in June of the same year to prevent the removal of the central oak stump.

The tribes were treated for a period at the Flag Fen archaeological center to prevent further deterioration. After a lengthy discussion about the future whereabouts of the artifacts, during which the suggestion was made that they should be returned to the site after appropriate treatment, they were taken to the Mary Rose Trust in Portsmouth in 2003 for permanent conservation. This work has now been completed. King's Lynn, around thirty kilometers from the site, was chosen as the final place of preservation . The Lynn Museum , housed in a former church, was converted for this purpose. After the reopening in April 2008, some of the found pieces can be viewed there. No remains can be seen at the original location.

Holme II

At the beginning of 2001 a further, somewhat larger ring-shaped structure was discovered a good 100 meters east, which also consists of a concentric circle of wooden piles, but has two wooden beams in the middle. These are the remains of a barrow . With an estimated period of origin between 2400 and 2030 BC. Chr. They older than Holme I . It can be assumed, however, that both facilities were used in parallel for a certain period of time and that the burial mound there was possibly the trigger for the choice of the location of the place of worship.

Holme II was examined superficially, but no excavations took place. The system is accordingly still in place. In the update of the North Norfolk Shoreline Management Plan , it is recommended that protective measures be taken, otherwise the destruction of the remains is to be expected.

Coordinates: 52 ° 58 ′ 5 ″  N , 0 ° 31 ′ 17 ″  E

literature

Preliminary remark: Unless otherwise stated, literature is in English.

  • Seahenge. Prehistoric timber circle from Holme. Lynn Museum information brochure, digitized , PDF file, 3.5 MB, accessed September 24, 2012.
  • Mark Brennand, Maisie Taylor: Seahenge . Current Archeology, No. 167, March 2000
  • Matthew Champion: Seahenge: a contemporary chronicle (Aylsham, Barnwell's Timescape 2000).
  • Francis Pryor : Seahenge: new discoveries in prehistoric Britain (London, Harper and Collins 2001).
  • Mark Brennand, Maisie Taylor: The Survey and Excavation of a Bronze Age Timber Circle at Holme-next-the-Sea, Norfolk, 1998-9. In: Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society, Vol. 69, 2003, pp. 1-84
  • Mark Brennand: This is why we dug Seahenge ( Memento of August 12, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) British Archeology, Issue 78, September 2004.
  • David Robertson et al .: Norfolk Rapid Coastal Zone Archaeological Survey. Norfolk Archaeological Unit, Report No. 1045, April 2005. Digitized version , PDF file, 6.7 MB, accessed on September 24, 2012.
  • Charlie Watson: Seahenge: an archaeological conundrum (Swindon, English Heritage 2005).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Seahenge dated to spring 2050 BC . BBC News, December 1, 1999, accessed September 24, 2012
  2. ↑ 'Seahenge' moves on BBC News, May 26, 1999, accessed September 24, 2012
  3. ↑ Protesters halt 'Seahenge' removal . BBC News, June 15, 1999, accessed September 24, 2012
  4. ^ Seahenge may be buried . BBC News, January 4, 2001, accessed September 24, 2012
  5. ↑ Seahenge - ancient wooden circle ( Memento from July 4, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) on the Flag Fen website, as of July 4, 2008, retrieved from the Internet Archive on September 24, 2012. (English)
  6. ↑ Ancient Seahenge 'returns home' BBC News, March 25, 2008, accessed September 24, 2012.
  7. ↑ Old timbers bring in new visitors BBC News, May 12, 2008, accessed September 25, 2012
  8. ↑ No sequel to Seahenge . BBC News, January 11, 2001, accessed September 24, 2012
  9. ↑ Appendix D to the Shoreline Management Plan, June 2010, p. D40. Digital copy ( Memento of the original from May 13, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , PDF file, 0.8MB, accessed on September 24, 2012. (English) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.west-norfolk.gov.uk