Retracing the footsteps of H.H. Thomas: a review of his Stonehenge bluestone provenancing study

The long-distance transport of the Stonehenge bluestones from the Mynydd Preseli area of north Pembrokeshire was first proposed by geologist H.H. Thomas in 1923. For over 80 years, his work on the provenancing of the Stonehenge bluestones from locations in Mynydd Preseli in south Wales has been acce...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Antiquity 2018-06, Vol.92 (363), p.788-802
Main Authors: Bevins, Richard, Ixer, Rob
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
20th century
Analysis
Archaeology
Building stone
Building stones
Careers
Evaluation
Excavation
Field study
Geological research
Geologists
Geology
Historic artifacts
Memorials & monuments
Museums
Natural history
Prehistoric archaeology
Provenance
Provenance (Geology)
Scrutiny
Stone
Thomas, H.H
Transportation
Turner, Jim
Works
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Summary:The long-distance transport of the Stonehenge bluestones from the Mynydd Preseli area of north Pembrokeshire was first proposed by geologist H.H. Thomas in 1923. For over 80 years, his work on the provenancing of the Stonehenge bluestones from locations in Mynydd Preseli in south Wales has been accepted at face value. New analytical techniques, alongside transmitted and reflected light microscopy, have recently prompted renewed scrutiny of Thomas's work. While respectable for its time, the results of these new analyses, combined with a thorough checking of the archived samples consulted by Thomas, reveal that key locations long believed to be sources for the Stonehenge bluestones can be discounted in favour of newly identified locations at Craig-Rhos-y-felin and Carn Goedog.
ISSN:0003-598X
1745-1744
DOI:10.15184/aqy.2018.10