Holy McGrail

Abridged from a post by Karin Attwood to the Stones Mailing List today:

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Some absolute mindless tw*t(s) seem to think its a good prank to have splattered bright yellow gloss paint over the entire ring in some cases both sides of the stones. Damage was found this morning by a member of a geo-phys team arrving for work.

The oldest measured lichen colony in the UK has a line of paint running down it plus splatters.

EH have been informed and are talking to NT about methods used at Avebury for previous paint vandalism.

In a later post she also wrote:

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Hi All

Just returned home from the circle. Frist the bad news – every single one of the stones is splattered both sides, paint splodges vary from 2”-4” and in long lines. If you can imagine someone with a 6” paintbrush and a large tin of gloss soaking the brush and then flicking it over the stones you can picture the damage!

So far reaction has been shift – the local police spent 2hrs looking round for the can (did not find it though) and taking samples to take around nearby paint shops. The police socco lady was on scene with an hour of me arriving and has also taken samples. Both BBC and Central news have covered the item and local press. A joint EH & Rollright Trust Press Release will be issued tomorrow.

EH area monument inspector has been out and will be returning tomorrow with experts who cleaned up the Avebury paint damage as will the team who have been studying the lichen colonies. EH rep was as incensed as the rest of us and promised that if anyone is caught this will be taken to the full extent of the law. The cost of clean-up and repair will not be available til tomorrow but IMO given that the damage at Avebury did not leave much change out of 100k I reckon at least twice that amount. Paint is also deep inside the holes in the stones.

Damage was most likely done between 8am and 9.45 this morning going be the fact that the paint was still wet and this had to be done in daylight to get most of the paint on target instead of everywhere.

The Police did mention that letting the cost of clean-up being made public would help in getting someone to finger the culprits – who must have been splattered themselves. A reward would also help – to that end I’m currently thinking of who to ask to put up some cash or thinking of asking for pledges to set up a reward fund that would only be called in if someone is prosecuted.

I’m off for a long lie-down, I’m frozen solid after doing my bit for the Karmic wheel in the middle of a freezing cold windy circle dressed inappropriately!

Thanks to everyone for the messages of shared anger and support – hopefully the BBC local news will get over the point that this is not just vandalism but very upsetting to those who regard these places as spiritual too.

Karin – still gutted..

from Ananova.com

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Archaeologists have discovered six more bodies near the grave of the so-called King of Stonehenge.

The remains of four adults and two children were found at a site in Amesbury, Wiltshire.

It is about half-a-mile from that of the Amesbury Archer, the Bronze Age man who was buried with the earliest gold found in Britain.

It is thought he might have had a major role in creating Stonehenge. Tests showed he was born in the Alps region in central Europe.

The latest bones discovered are some 4,500 years old – the same age as the Archer, said Salisbury-based Wessex Archaeology – which excavated the site during the digging of a trench this month.

Radiocarbon tests will be done to find out more precise dates for the burials but the people are believed to have lived during the building of Stonehenge. Wessex Archaeology say it is possible the bones are those of people from different generations.

The bones of the earlier burials were mixed up, but those of the later burials, a man and a child, were undisturbed. They said the grave, which is about three miles from Stonehenge, had narrowly missed being damaged by trench digging for electric cables and a water pipe.

The grave contained four pots in the Beaker style that is typical of the period, some flint tools, one flint arrowhead and a bone toggle for fastening clothing.

Dr Andrew Fitzpatrick, of Wessex Archaeology, said: “This new find is really unusual. It is exceptionally rare to find the remains of so many people in one grave like this in southern England.

“The grave is fascinating because we are seeing the moment when Britain was moving from the Stone Age into the Bronze Age, around 2,300BC.”