Who were the people of Stonehenge? Curators' Tour of The World of Stonehenge

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  • čas přidán 1. 06. 2024
  • The image of Stonehenge is so iconic that if you were to close your eyes right now, you'd likely have a pretty accurate image of the monument in your mind. However, if you were asked to imagine the people who built and lived with the monument, you'd probably struggle a little more.
    So to help with that, curators Jennifer Wexler and Neil Wilkin have decided to take you on a tour of their British Museum exhibition The world of Stonehenge, to introduce to some of incredible people that built and lived around the time of the monument. You'll see some of the best gold work humans have ever created, some of the best stone work humans have ever created, as well as a pretty decent 1.7 kilometre wooden footpath created to cross an inconvenient marsh (trust us, the Sweet Track is awesome). And overall you should come away with a better understanding of who the people of Stonehenge really were, what they thought about the world, and why they built big stone circles.
    If this has whetted your appetite for all things Bronze Age, you can get tickets to The world of Stonehenge exhibition here: bit.ly/3sqLdSU
    And if you can't make it to the show, but still want more, the exhibition catalogue is available here: bit.ly/3L3yfRL
    00:00 Introduction to Stonehenge
    01:12 Introduction of Farming in Britain
    05:07 The Sweet Track
    06:50 Seahenge
    09:56 The Amesbury Archer
    13:33 The Nebra Sky Disk
    17:03 Trade and Piracy in Bronze Age Britain
    19:35 The Shropshire Bulla
    22:12 Britain's Distant Past
    #Stonehenge #BritishHistory #BronzeAgeEurope

Komentáře • 474

  • @britishmuseum
    @britishmuseum  Před 2 lety +39

    Find out more about our Stonehenge exhibition here: bit.ly/3tZWtps
    And if you can't make it to the show, you might want to check out the exhibition book here: bit.ly/3IhiXaI
    If you're outside of the UK you can also buy the exhibition book here: bit.ly/3IchOBa

    • @JJONNYREPP
      @JJONNYREPP Před 2 lety +2

      Who were the people of Stonehenge? Curators' Tour of The World of Stonehenge 1002am 13.5.22 excellent!!!.... or a load of barmy old kaka? it's been mucked about with so much that we're never gonna get an insight into the whys or the wherefores of what was going on... p.s did the mass land clearances to create farmland instigate the seasonal flux we now know re: the 4 seasons we enjoy (albeit vaguely) these days? n.b the man in the ice sprang to mind - remember the guy who was found frozen in the alps (konrad spindler)... how knowledgeable are these guys spinning us is this yarn?

    • @sarahpersonalexcellenceguide
      @sarahpersonalexcellenceguide Před 2 lety +2

      I’m really surprised that the British Museum hasn’t caught on… these places and special objects were knowledge centers and memory devices for pre-literate people! (Edit: I’m not referring to the axes) I suggest reading Dr. Lynne Kelly’s book, “The Memory Code” to understand.
      Before writing, people had to remember everything. They, and people around the world used myths, objects, and places to help them remember the knowledge and wisdom that had been gathered for who knows how long?
      Memory keepers (as I call them) at Stonehenge and other “henges” would’ve used the the “method of loci” to remember knowledge the same way Greek orators used it to remember long speeches. It’s incredible! You have to look it up and let Dr. Kelly explain it to you!
      This enlightenment will completely change how you interpret sites like Stonehenge and objects like the Towie balls. You’ll realize it’s not religious, it’s not “making offerings,” or “worshipping,” it’s sharing and passing on knowledge in a practical and ingenious manner.
      Looks like you might need to update your interpretations and possibly your brand new exhibit, British Museum! :)

    • @JJONNYREPP
      @JJONNYREPP Před 2 lety +1

      @@sarahpersonalexcellenceguide 1756pm 13.5.22 indeed... singing aids the memory. pretty simple process....

    • @himoffthequakeroatbox4320
      @himoffthequakeroatbox4320 Před 2 lety +1

      13:55 if Fischer-Price made astrolabes.

    • @JJONNYREPP
      @JJONNYREPP Před 2 lety

      @@himoffthequakeroatbox4320 and the sex pistols, it would seem.... czcams.com/video/8Ol1B3w7NtU/video.html

  • @MrNas42
    @MrNas42 Před 2 lety +235

    The polished axe IS a better tool than the rough surfaced biface version. A skilled knapper can make can make a biface axe in 20-30 mins. The polished version will take around 60 hours more. Why do this? Because the polished axe will last more than ten times longer. The reason? Each impact puts stress forces along the axe. The rough surfaced biface will cause those forces to concentrate in areas when passing over the dimples and ridges, which will likely cause the tool to fracture at some point. With the mirror smooth surface of a polished axe those shock waves can pass freely long the surface and into the handle, reducing the stress on the tool and significantly extending its life. Neolithic people had better things to do than polish rocks for the fun of it.

    • @lindamclean8809
      @lindamclean8809 Před 2 lety +11

      Thank you for that information...very interesting. 👍👍

    • @sarahmagoo1031
      @sarahmagoo1031 Před rokem +26

      Great explanation, they actually put it to the test on Time Team and the polished axe performed better as well as being more durable.

    • @ricardomartins3015
      @ricardomartins3015 Před rokem +11

      Yes, what he said was wrong.

    • @eh1702
      @eh1702 Před rokem +24

      It’s very interesting, what you say about polishing axes. But the difference between 20-30 minutes and 60 hours is, well, at least 120x. Would a polished axe really be worth the time it takes to make over 100 “rough” axes? I’m thinking there must be more factors than less breakage; eg the efficiency making it less tiring to use. But there is no doubt that looks matter. Even in this day and age where we don’t make our own tools and weapons much, we still feel that our personal status is affected by how impressive they look. It’s why people buy expensive cars that go 0-60 in a few seconds, that can cruise at 120mph but are used 99% of the time for a five-mile commute through 20-40mph suburbs.

    • @sarahmagoo1031
      @sarahmagoo1031 Před rokem +14

      @eh… factor in things like flint not being widely available. This is a precious resource, and they really didn’t have much better to do while sitting around the fire at night. Polishing that axe might very well transform it from something that will break after a relatively short period of use into a tool that could potentially last a lifetime and be passed to the next generation.

  • @catarinabarbosa2247
    @catarinabarbosa2247 Před 2 lety +55

    the upside down tree in middle is such a cool detail, it shows so much intentionality

    • @funiguy8779
      @funiguy8779 Před 2 lety +8

      I believe this was included in an episode of Time Team, where we see protestors trying to stop the removal of these timbers and the show goes on to recreate a smaller version.

    • @julietfischer5056
      @julietfischer5056 Před rokem +3

      @JZ's BFF- Or it had a religious purpose, but we'll never know because we don't know anything for sure about the religious beliefs of the various peoples who constructed Stonehenge.

    • @eh1702
      @eh1702 Před rokem +1

      @JZ's BFF You “go for” one historical hypothesis rather than another because you yourself happen to enjoy x rather than y? I’m hoping this is just a joke and you’re not actually falling down a great big fat logical fallacy.

    • @catarinabarbosa2247
      @catarinabarbosa2247 Před rokem +1

      @JZ's BFF saying religion is a bout fear is such a Christian centric take

    • @catarinabarbosa2247
      @catarinabarbosa2247 Před rokem

      @JZ's BFF well christianity is very "follow god or you'll be subject to eternal suffering", oher religions don't really do that

  • @LadyLydia1000
    @LadyLydia1000 Před 2 lety +21

    I grew up around forests where everyone had an axe. They sanded and polished the handles to make them last longer, less damage from the weather, and to preserve them. To carve a new one was labor intensive and it was prudent to make the effort worthwhile, instead of letting it deteriorate and discarding it. Although it made the handles look nice, beauty was not as important as function.

  • @cloudgoose
    @cloudgoose Před 2 lety +64

    That pendant is absolutely stunning. I also love the idea of “deep history” instead of “pre-history.” Really interesting to see how human culture changed over those thousands of years.

    • @tommeakin1732
      @tommeakin1732 Před rokem +3

      To comment purely on the linguistics, I think "pre-history" suggests a hard, perhaps unconquerable barrier, which isn't right. "Deep history", on the other hand, acknowledges the physical depth of the information, and the difficulty of getting to it, but doesn't suggest any firm barrier. In fact as I'm thinking about this, the visual on an exponentially curving funnel is popping into my head as a representation of the passage of time and the available information that we can access at varying levels

    • @cloudgoose
      @cloudgoose Před rokem +2

      @@tommeakin1732 the funnel is a great visualization. I also think the term “pre-history” cuts us, in our time, off from folks in the past. It suggests a kind of difference between us that doesn’t really exist. It’s a continuous funnel, not a before and after.

  • @treering8228
    @treering8228 Před 2 lety +84

    I thought Time Team showed how the Neolithic axe was superior to the Mesolithic axe. The shined up Neolithic axe cut cleaner and suffered less damage as easily as the Mesolithic one. I wish I could see this exhibit but alas I am a broke Alaskan and may never make it to my ancestral lands. Thank you for showing this amazing display!

    • @lyndafayesmusic
      @lyndafayesmusic Před 2 lety

      Bothers me people also used them as weapons!
      Why am I so bored, and wanting to rush off over to a video about people who built their own mud houses instead ? Those turned to stone too and stone axes just do nothing for me.

    • @JHaven-lg7lj
      @JHaven-lg7lj Před 2 lety +7

      Exactly - researchers, specifically Dr. James Dilley that I know of, have found that making the axe head smoother makes the stresses propagate more smoothly and keeps it functional longer.

    • @willmc4403
      @willmc4403 Před 2 lety +8

      From memory, Time Team found the Mesolithic axe quickly started to almost fray at the cutting edge, and that this fraying allowed wood-fibres to get into the edge and split it apart. Polishing the forward portions of the axe therefore had a practical benefit, but the point the curators here seem to be making is that the Neolithic makers went above-and-beyond this performance-related care, polishing the whole axe to a high level (higher than is likely to have had an impact on stress propagation, to the point where it almost has to have been aesthetically motivated)

    • @daxhopkins7312
      @daxhopkins7312 Před 2 lety +1

      @@willmc4403 I think you (and they) are likely right, knowing some other asthetic works by early and pre human groups. Can you give any other reason it is more likely aesthetic; rather than an observation that polishing improves function, so polishing more?

    • @willmc4403
      @willmc4403 Před 2 lety +8

      @@daxhopkins7312 That's a really interesting point actually, and I'm absolutely not an expert! But I suppose if it were purely functional, you'd expect to see a sort of "optimisation" as, over the years, people figured out which bits of their axe needed to be polished and which didn't, rather than the majority being fully polished.
      Also, on a more basic level, I can't think of many periods of history (or prehistory) when humans haven't been attracted to things that are shiny!

  • @sherryzimmerman9220
    @sherryzimmerman9220 Před 2 lety +16

    This is the Best Example of the best of our Social Media today…..with so much gobbled-gook out there……this is Excellent Work….Kudos!

  • @stephaniebaines1192
    @stephaniebaines1192 Před 2 lety +22

    The exhibition is truly spine-tingling. I saw it a few weeks ago, travelling from the north of England, and I am going to see it again this weekend. If you get the chance at all, go ! The stone axes are just magnificent in their collection and display. Their uniformity in design and subsequent development is also astounding.The lighting is quite dark in the cavities between the exhibits, which really adds to the mood. The pieces are all magical, but for me the gigantic aur head and the 9000 year old antler head dress come close to simulating time travel. Thank you for putting this together !

    • @joannebattersby8365
      @joannebattersby8365 Před rokem +2

      I am in Canada and my family is from Britian- England, Scotland and Ireland. I would so love to see this exhibit - it must have been incredible to see and to fell - our distant people walking out of the past. This is a wonderful.channel for those of us 'across the pond'.

  • @leekestner1554
    @leekestner1554 Před 2 lety +17

    I do believe that their was a rise of aesthetics in their tools but It has been proven with modern replicas that the smooth polished axe heads cut cleaner and keep their edge longer than the those that were simply flint knapped. Phil Harding of Time Team gave a demonstration of this in one of their episodes.

  • @kridswonderhowell4541
    @kridswonderhowell4541 Před 2 lety +7

    Bravo to whoever scripted this segment! What a beautiful job the curators have done giving us (who live so far away) such a meaningful tour.... I'm truly grateful

  • @barefootkiwi3026
    @barefootkiwi3026 Před 2 lety +45

    14:30 It was interesting to hear about the importance of Pleiades to Northern Hemisphere peoples because it was just as important in the Southern Hemisphere as well. Here in NZ, we are about to celebrate Matariki (the very first indigenous public holiday in the world) which is the Māori new year, based on when Matariki (Pleiades) re-appears above the horizon.

    • @watermelonlalala
      @watermelonlalala Před rokem

      They are just guessing that's the Pleiades.

    • @eh1702
      @eh1702 Před rokem +3

      No, they’re jot “just guessing” about the Pleiades, they are taking a wide variety of evidence into account - starting with what else is on the disk; and considering contexts like other representations of the sun, moon, “sky boat” and constellations; and knowing the significance, even in historical times, of different constellations to agriculturalists at specific times of year: and they’re deducing that it’s a very high probability that it’s the Pleiades.

    • @sean659
      @sean659 Před rokem +1

      These people have no shame displaying looted goods from 3rd countries.

    • @willx9352
      @willx9352 Před rokem +5

      There are plenty of indigenous public holidays celebrated throughout the world. The indigenous people of Europe have been celebrating Christmas and New Year for more than a thousand years, the peoples of India have celebrated Diwali for a millenia. The indigenous people of China have been celebrating the lunar new year for thousands of years....Indeed the celebration of all these indigenous holidays actually predate the arrival of the Maori in New Zealand.

  • @maryearll3359
    @maryearll3359 Před 11 měsíci +1

    I am fascinated by the Nebra Sky Disc. I think it is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen ❤.

  • @sleepingsealproductions
    @sleepingsealproductions Před 2 lety +17

    there was reason for polishing the axes. polishing would make them less likely to break. see James Dilley’s explanation in his video Graig Lwym Axe Landscape on his AncientCraftUK youtube channel.

    • @lyndafayesmusic
      @lyndafayesmusic Před 2 lety

      ah, are you a sculptor ?
      Why am I so bored, and wanting to rush off over to a video about people who built their own mud houses instead ? Those turned to stone too and stone axes just do nothing for me.

    • @coffeefish
      @coffeefish Před 2 lety

      Exactly what I was thinking. This channel is probably more about woke propaganda than actual science.

    • @coffeefish
      @coffeefish Před 2 lety

      @@lyndafayesmusic Lynda,,,why are you asking if KW is a sculptor?

  • @slyaspie4934
    @slyaspie4934 Před 2 lety +12

    You've got some really fantastic documentaries on here, from Stonehenge, the Vikings live, the Sutton Hoo helmet and sword, Roman Britain to the Yoginis: Goddesses of Tantra, all of it fascinating and informative with great hosts and narration.
    A great channel from a brilliant place

  • @girlnorthof60
    @girlnorthof60 Před 2 lety +44

    Very well presented & narrated. Thank you, I enjoyed the journey you took me on. ❤

    • @atmakali9599
      @atmakali9599 Před 2 lety

      A journey of false histories.

    • @lyndafayesmusic
      @lyndafayesmusic Před 2 lety

      @@atmakali9599 Why am I so bored, and wanting to rush off over to a video about people who built their own mud houses instead ? Those turned to stone too and stone axes just do nothing for me.

    • @lyndafayesmusic
      @lyndafayesmusic Před 2 lety

      Well "narrated" however; Why am I so bored, and wanting to rush off over to a video about people who built their own mud houses instead ? Those turned to stone too and stone axes just do nothing for me.

    • @slyaspie4934
      @slyaspie4934 Před 2 lety

      Yeah they've got some great stuff on here, the Vikings live is very good, and a video about the Sutton Hoo helmet is pretty great to

    • @sean659
      @sean659 Před rokem

      These people have no shame displaying looted goods from 3rd countries.

  • @sheltr9735
    @sheltr9735 Před 2 lety +15

    Absolutely fascinating!
    Thank you to all who participated in the production of this episode

  • @annameadowshelvie5714
    @annameadowshelvie5714 Před rokem +10

    This is a beautifully done video. I was privileged to attend this exhibition back in May. I can say quite honestly that it was a peak experience of my life: so filled with amazing artifacts, beautifully lit, well-described, and with a trance-inducing soundtrack in the background. The curators did an outstanding job.

  • @SiqueScarface
    @SiqueScarface Před 2 lety +6

    We should add the intriguing fact that the Nebra Sky disk was made with copper from today's Austria, but with tin and gold from Cornwall. The Nebra Sky disk is thus not only a portable Stonehenge, it is additionally a product of the trade that connected continental Europe with the British islands.

  • @Nate770
    @Nate770 Před 2 lety +62

    Polishing axes DOES enhance their functionality and durability. A polished axe makes cleaner cuts and is less prone to shattering and needing constant re-sharpening. This has been proved beyond doubt many times by experimental archaeologists! Quite shocked to hear this outdated and disproven nonsense about polishing being purely aesthetic in an official British Museum video!

  • @NRJenzenJones
    @NRJenzenJones Před 2 lety +19

    Very interesting. Of course, "prehistory" has a very specific meaning that is well understood by anyone who has read even a little on the subject. It remains a perfectly appropriate term to describe the period in question. I'd also add that there is good research to suggest that the polishing of axeheads did, in fact, offer practical benefits. We are often all too ready to fall into the trap of ascribing "ritual purposes" to any prehistoric phenomena that is not immediately decipherable through a modern lens.
    I am very much looking forward to visiting the exhibition. My thanks to the curators for sharing their insights in a video format, especially for those who will not be able to make the journey to the BM.

    • @sstvost9
      @sstvost9 Před 2 lety

      By aiding splitting and reducing the chance of damage to the axe itself, or anything else?

    • @pattheplanter
      @pattheplanter Před 2 lety +1

      @@sstvost9 I wonder if it would make it easier to check the stone for faults that would be hidden by the roughness.

    • @penguinista
      @penguinista Před 2 lety +2

      It doesn't bother me when experts speculate about the plausible significance objects or practices held for prehistoric people, but it should be clear when they cross the line between speaking about stuff they can prove and stuff they can not.

    • @G-ra-ha-m
      @G-ra-ha-m Před 2 lety

      Pre-history is anything before about 1875.
      Before that: was an entirely different civilisation.
      The evidence is in all the old photos, and all the old buildings.

    • @sineadmarshall8571
      @sineadmarshall8571 Před rokem +1

      @@G-ra-ha-m prehistory is before written records

  • @mobitouchiha
    @mobitouchiha Před rokem +4

    If you’d ask Irving Finkel about the importance of the Plejaden in ancient Mesopotamia, he‘ll probably point to one of their Sumerian names being MUL, which just means star. The Sumerians viewed them as archetypical stars, which may be connected to their function as the indicator for leap years in Mul-Apin. They were also seen as gods (Sebetti) and quite the number of prayers to them has survived to this day. With the appearance of the Mittani kingdom they also appear in northern Mesopotamian Glyptic, though not so much in the south.

  • @Pembroke.
    @Pembroke. Před 2 lety +12

    Awesome thank you for sharing your hard work everyone

  • @mv11000
    @mv11000 Před 6 měsíci +1

    Fascinating. Thank you.

  • @bigbasil1908
    @bigbasil1908 Před 2 lety +4

    There's something about that sun pendant. It is really beautiful and timeless. It could have been created in the modern day. It's very special

  • @CyberMartCloud
    @CyberMartCloud Před rokem

    the finest craftsmanship ever witnessed.

  • @BRP42
    @BRP42 Před 2 lety +23

    I wish I could see this in person, but this video is a great introduction. Thanks so much for sharing!

  • @ianbaker8225
    @ianbaker8225 Před 2 lety +12

    Fascinating and well presented. Thankyou. 10/10

  • @azureprophet
    @azureprophet Před 2 lety +4

    I hope that people will finally put to rest the idea that ancient people only moved a few miles around their homes. They probably had more freedom to travel than we do today.

    • @kimfleury
      @kimfleury Před 2 lety

      We've known for many, many decades that ancient people traveled far. I guess you just hadn't heard.

    • @martywanlass4774
      @martywanlass4774 Před 2 lety

      @@kimfleury Moving across country with carts and horses would have been slow and tedious. But time is relative, and to see the other side of the mountain is still alluring.

  • @TheSuzberry
    @TheSuzberry Před 2 lety +4

    I’m thrilled to see so many memories from Time Team explorations.

  • @ladyofthemasque
    @ladyofthemasque Před rokem +3

    Polishing a stone axe actually does enhance its functionality. It reduces the chance for fractures from rough peaks being chipped or spalled off the main rock body. It allows the axe blade to bite into the wood more cleanly, imparting more force to the attack, since there are no peaks to get lodged too son, reducing the depth of each impact. And it allows easier extraction if it gets caught in the fibers, reducing friction. These may seem like minor changes, but when every single tree has to be cut down by very hard and laborious work, working only with stone tools, with no metal and no saw blades, even tiny changes can make a huge difference over the long run.

  • @sebastianmaharg
    @sebastianmaharg Před 2 lety +1

    The "who they were" and "what they were doing" gets me every time.

  • @thinghammer
    @thinghammer Před 2 lety +8

    2 thumbs up! This channel never disappoints.

  • @bardmadsen6956
    @bardmadsen6956 Před 2 lety +3

    There is the precession problem with the hypothesis of the seasons regulated with the Pleiades as it would slip over millennia. The reason is that the Taurid Stream seems to emanate visually from the Pleiades and when we cross that night time pre-perihelion it is the time to add 5-6 days to the 360 day year, thus the New Year is established as it should be on October 31st today. This is the meteor stream that caused the Pleistocene / Holocene shift and why there are seven avians in a row at Gobekli Tepe. And because of precession the festival of the dead / New Year would be commemorated around May 1st 12,000 years ago.

  • @TheJoan48
    @TheJoan48 Před 2 lety +2

    I always feel something inside whenever I hear the word Stonehenge or watch videos about it. I know I was there before. This video put me in a trance.

  • @TheHarrip
    @TheHarrip Před 2 lety +7

    What a wonderful explanation. It now makes way more sense. Thanks.

  • @bobsmalser8304
    @bobsmalser8304 Před 2 lety +3

    Polishing stone blades allow the waste chips of the material being cut to scour more easily and eliminate shallow fissures that are the beginning of cracks that eventually destroy the tool. In turn, they also likely boned their fresh wood handles to make them slide more efficiently in the hand.

  • @renata31000
    @renata31000 Před 2 lety +3

    This is a fabulous presentation!

  • @PottedHistory
    @PottedHistory Před 2 lety +2

    Thanks you Jennifer and Neil, can't wait to see this exhibition.

  • @M.B.ChalliesNZ
    @M.B.ChalliesNZ Před rokem +1

    Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful exhibition 🌍

  • @mikejurassic
    @mikejurassic Před 2 lety +3

    Yep! It was a truely great exhibition - well done Neil, Jennifer and Rose

  • @jorgegonzalez-larramendi5491

    finding high quality minerals is Not Easy. beautiful collection.

  • @benanning7217
    @benanning7217 Před 2 lety +5

    Another superb one, guys. Thanks for sharing!

  • @stevemyers8330
    @stevemyers8330 Před 2 lety +4

    Excellent presentation! Thank you!

  • @justaperson1812
    @justaperson1812 Před rokem

    Fascinating beautiful objects

  • @tanyaegorova3149
    @tanyaegorova3149 Před 2 lety +13

    I love rewatching Curator's Corner and just last week I got to Neil's videos on Stonehenge and smaller objects in the collection, and in those he looks so stressed out and awkward compared to this tour. You can really tell how much the experience of presenting for those videos has contributed to him feeling very comfortable in this one. Absolutely enchanting video, wonderful presenters, thank you to the team!

  • @little_forest
    @little_forest Před 2 lety +5

    It is a bit sad to me to have to watch a video of Curators' Corner of the British Museum to see the Nebra sky disc, when it usually is displayed just a few hundred meters from my home. But of course, it is now shown in a big, great context. :)

  • @brendanquinlan5936
    @brendanquinlan5936 Před 2 lety +1

    Absolutely superb program. Thanks for sharing .

  • @MrGyges
    @MrGyges Před rokem +1

    Top stuff BM. A story well told. Thank you

  • @kathleenann631
    @kathleenann631 Před rokem

    Thk all of U for this extraordinary presentation!!!!!

  • @DipityS
    @DipityS Před 2 lety +3

    That was fascinating. I felt touched by this - when looking at the trees and imagining the family watching the sun come through the branches - I got goose-bumps. I would love to be able to come visit the exhibit, but am very appreciative to be given a little look - thank you.

  • @martinredmond7407
    @martinredmond7407 Před 2 lety +1

    Thank you for sharing this excellent presentation, I really appreciated it from start to finish.

  • @loreedavis9592
    @loreedavis9592 Před rokem

    Beautifully presented, beautifully photographed for this video, and endlessly fascinating. I can’t wait to visit the British Museum again to see this breathtaking exhibition!

  • @xred_ray8009
    @xred_ray8009 Před 2 lety

    I visited the exhibition with my son on Easter. Just brilliant and thank you for the memories!

  • @hrh4961
    @hrh4961 Před 2 lety

    Flippin' awesome. Thank you for this.

  • @byblispersephone2.094
    @byblispersephone2.094 Před 2 lety +1

    This is an exquisite documentary !

  • @mradcaqbdb
    @mradcaqbdb Před 2 lety +1

    Fascinating!

  • @AndyCutright
    @AndyCutright Před 2 lety +1

    Great video. Looks like a great exhibition :)

  • @VaughanMcCue
    @VaughanMcCue Před 2 lety

    Thank you for a beautiful video report.

  • @michaelsheffield6852
    @michaelsheffield6852 Před 2 lety +1

    Fascinating

  • @thomasabrahams7984
    @thomasabrahams7984 Před 2 lety

    This was so good! Thank you 🙏

  • @Aldous944
    @Aldous944 Před rokem +2

    Very interesting. Not sure about the glib 'insights' about Neolithic spiritual/religious faith though. There are pragmatic reasons that could explain the special value of Italian jade axe heads (other than their source being high up 'close to heaven') and the example of the upturned tree section (i.e. the fact that it's a ready-made Y support). Other than these unsupported claims, a nice insight into Stonehenge culture. Would love to see the actual exhibition.

  • @scottleft3672
    @scottleft3672 Před rokem

    The stones hardness and toughness were the determining factors, plus polishing revealed layers and fossils.

  • @dianejohnston3733
    @dianejohnston3733 Před 2 lety +5

    Great, interesting exhibition and presentation - I do wonder if the tools were sanded and polished to a fine surface to prevent abrasions/calluses to the palm, in tools that could have been used by hand as well as in a wooden axe frame.

  • @brucemitchell8631
    @brucemitchell8631 Před 2 lety +4

    Fantastic. Thanks for producing such interesting work!

    • @atmakali9599
      @atmakali9599 Před 2 lety

      Interesting because it’s completely fake.

    • @thomasbell7033
      @thomasbell7033 Před 2 lety +2

      @@atmakali9599 Still here? Do I have to send you the spike?

    • @atmakali9599
      @atmakali9599 Před 2 lety

      @@thomasbell7033 you’re suffering from menticide. Intense brainwashing. Obviously jabbed.

  • @RuneRelic
    @RuneRelic Před rokem +1

    Enjoyable video. Thanks.
    You say the people of Stonehenge left us no art with which to know/understand them, I would say the henge was their art (geometry as earth measure), and you should study it accordingly.
    The major standstill of the sun and the moon did not just mark out opposing crescents, split asunder by the equinox sunrise/sunset.
    The standstill points/azimuth marked out the location of the primary and secondary rainbows at dawn/dusk upon those equinoxes, that created cones pointing East and West.
    Hence a pot of gold at the end of the primary rainbow and a pot of silver at the end of the secondary rainbow.
    The epitome of which was refractive index square root 9/5th, that created a perfect 3/4th square within the circle of the raindrop, but had a perfect elevation/azimuth of a 3:4:5 triangle.
    This is symbolised/marked by the station stones that sit offset upon the Aubrey hole circle, as a 1:2 gradient square, placed within an octagon.
    Hence Alexander Thoms megalithic Easter eggs.
    This tilted square also gave Solstice + 1/8th year sunrise at Syene, from whence the metrology of the Earth was measured, with ecliptic matching latitude.
    Cut into two circles for azimuth east and west, the same squared the circle by perimeter and area,
    when using 25/8th Pi and the 8x8 grid as a 360" human circle, 5x5 common cubits square and 5x5 remen royal cubits tilted square.
    This geometric ecliptic was that necessary, to allow the solstice to rise at the 6 radial points at the latitude of the corners of a cube, whose great circles then met at 8 radial lines to create an octahedron.
    Hence the pertrospheres from the recumbent stone circles.
    At Stonehenge they had something much more detailed though.
    Using the 450" wavelength of the bank/ditch (Flinders Petrie) and the 250" wavelength of the Avenure bank/ditch (survey sections & Petrie), to be rolled by a circle cut into 24 parts.
    Those wheels were 80" and 144" diameter and rolled 24x 18.75" (common cubit at 1,512,000,000) and 24x 10.4166" (10" or half barley cubit at 1,512,000,000).
    Thus the node of the bank/ditch at 4050" diameter (Petrie 3595", 4045", 4495") was cut into the 32' arc of the sun as 1/675th part with 216 part diameter.
    These cubits were also the cubit described by strabo as 252,000 stade of 300 cubit at 144"/7 (at 1,555,200,000)
    Sunrise was designed to hit the Aubrey column Pillars at 25" radius, 125" mid height level to sun center, with an 18.75" diameter, using 5:6 conical columns with capitols, based of the 1250" Sarsen circle diameter.
    At 96" height rather then 125", the sun would be pushed out further to the 30 point polygon of the 4050" node .
    This was maximum reach of a human, as opposed to the bank & head height of 72" and the eye line at 14/15th of this height.
    Hence the Djed Pillar artwork and the requirement of cos 6 degrees or 30 pillars.
    For sunrise, there were two geometrical methods of calculation for shortcutting spherical trigonometry.
    One uses a cleaved horizon solstice circle, to create a rectangle, whose height is inscribed by a circle.
    This circle circumscibes a hexagon, square and double trigon, whose lines projected east west to the horizon circle mark Solstice +- 0/24th, 2/24th, 3/24th and 4/24th Year.
    The same can be done with double east west circles and cosines, for stonehenge...
    Acos(38/250)/2 = 40.628576 Solstice azimuth +- 0/24th Year
    Acos(91/250)/2 = 34.326973 Solstice azimuth +- 2/24th Year
    Acos(144/250)/2 = 27.415153 Solstice azimuth +- 3/24th Year. (Hence 250" and 144", where 0.576 is a 10:1 fractal of the Greek radian)
    Acos(197/250)/2 = 19.000500 Solstice azimuth +- 4/24th Year
    Acos(250/250)/2 = 0.000000 Solstice azimuth +- 6/24th Year
    Syene Ecliptic with solstice azimuth by Acos(38/250)/2... to match lunar standstill azimuth to latitude...
    Sin( 40.62857634 ) = sin( 24.09484255 ) / sin( 38.82636250 )
    Sin( 51.17363749 ) = sin( 29.23775305 ) / sin( 38.82636250 )
    29.23775305 - 24.09484255 = 5.14291050 Lunar Inclination
    51.17363749 + 38.82636250 = 90 (Latitude 51d 10' 25.09")
    Syene Ecliptic with solstice azimuth by Aubrey Column... to match lunar standstill azimuth to latitude...
    Sin( 40.62879969 ) = sin( 24.09484255 ) / sin( 38.82615300 )
    Sin( 51.17384699 ) = sin( 29.23770171 ) / sin( 38.82615300 )
    29.23770171 - 24.09484255 = 5.14285916 Lunar Inclination
    51.17384699 + 38.82615300 = 90 (Latitude 51d 10' 25.85")
    Syene Ecliptic with 36/7 lunar axial tilt, to go with 360/7 Avebury latitude and 3600", 360", 36" & 3.6" Anthropomorphic metrological fractal system...
    Sin( 40.62880849 ) = sin( 24.09484255 ) / sin( 38.82614475 )
    Sin( 51.17385524 ) = sin( 29.23769969 ) / sin( 38.82614475 )
    29.23769969 - 24.09484255 = 5.14285714 Lunar Inclination
    51.17385524 + 38.82614475 = 90 (Latitude 51d 10' 25.88")
    More here, for fully rebuilt Stonehenge... czcams.com/video/KwopKpJXRic/video.html
    More here, for how this led to Christian symbolism via the celtic christian and coptic chritian church.. czcams.com/video/ar50Tls4kBo/video.html
    Feel free to contact me for dimensional details if you ever want to build a scaled reconstruction.

  • @joanhyde1745
    @joanhyde1745 Před 2 lety +1

    Thank you for sowing us this interesting artifacts and explaining what was used and built as humans were developing civilization in Great Britain.

  • @fernie5128
    @fernie5128 Před 2 lety +8

    This presentation was as brilliant as the sun! Thank you! Hope I can get to London to see the exhibit. Well done and congratulations to all who were challenged by the usual issues putting together such a major exhibit, and to do it during the worst of the pandemic is testament to the skills of ALL who were involved. thanks from Minnesota, US

    • @slyaspie4934
      @slyaspie4934 Před 2 lety

      Agreed really enjoying the informative content they put out, they recently did a interesting stream about new scientific discoveries: Reinterpreting Stonehenge, but the Vikings live is a favourite of mine from a few years ago

  • @erepsekahs
    @erepsekahs Před rokem

    As a child my parents took me to all the major museums in London - we lived there. To see the quality and the beauty humans created thousands of years ago is beyond fascinating, it leaves one in awe of the capabilities of a, - our forefathers - people who, should we not have this evidence, would perhaps have been easily dismissed as primitive, and unskilled. For me, it is a privilege to live here and to witness, via modern technology, the magnificence which has gone before us. Every generation leaves behind knowledge which we have the obligation and the privilege to continue to build upon. I find it sad(for me) that I shall not live to stay here right to the end of what I call, 'The Movie.' I want to stay until the very end.

  • @jamesallison4875
    @jamesallison4875 Před 2 lety

    Wonderful in every way.

  • @thomasbernhardqed
    @thomasbernhardqed Před rokem

    they are both really charming, it's a pleasure to listen to them while they explain stuff 😌👍

  • @leomilani_gtr
    @leomilani_gtr Před 11 měsíci

    Fantastic!

  • @neutralfellow9736
    @neutralfellow9736 Před 2 lety +2

    fascinating

  • @c.a.t.732
    @c.a.t.732 Před 2 lety +2

    Around the 10:00 mark a new group of people are introduced who migrated into the British Isles from Europe, and are described as having "step ancestry". I wonder if the closed captioning should have read "steppe ancestry"?

  • @kaarlimakela3413
    @kaarlimakela3413 Před rokem

    Very good presentation.
    Fleshes out what I learned in my studies watching 20 seasons of Time Team. 🙂👍

  • @JosephElfassi
    @JosephElfassi Před rokem

    Wonderful video!

  • @filliere4576
    @filliere4576 Před 2 lety +2

    Fascinating coincidences(?) to consider: the full moon / crescent moon disk has 29 circles--a very close approximate of the number of days in a full cycle; seven of these circles are in a cluster that can organize the 28/29 into four week patterns making them easier to track. 28 days x 13 moons a year=364 days in the year. The outer ring contains 39 punctures (3 x 13) so every three years you would need to begin fresh as the partial days left over would begin to wreck solstice timings. A Stonehenge data disc.

  • @kurtbogle2973
    @kurtbogle2973 Před 2 lety

    Very well said!

  • @hilariapdx
    @hilariapdx Před 2 lety

    Thank you!

  • @mrjohn.whereyoufrom
    @mrjohn.whereyoufrom Před rokem

    I saw this exhibition before it closed. It was wonderful and is up there with the Viking exhibition as the best the museum has ever done.

  • @leslielutz6140
    @leslielutz6140 Před 11 měsíci

    This is amazing.

  • @ce4072
    @ce4072 Před 2 lety +4

    I just learned about Seahenge last month!! The removal of the posts from the site is a huge controversy, and I was sad to see how the site was treated. But they are doing a good job presenting it in this exhibit.

  • @samchapple6363
    @samchapple6363 Před 2 lety +1

    Hopefully you all do a book or two for us stuck across the pond. Wonderful episode

    • @britishmuseum
      @britishmuseum  Před 2 lety +1

      The exhibition book is available from our online shop here: bit.ly/3IhiXaI
      If you're having any issues with international shipping you can also purchase it here: bit.ly/3IchOBa
      Links are for the paperback, but there are also hardbacks available if that's more your style.

    • @samchapple6363
      @samchapple6363 Před 2 lety

      @@britishmuseum thank you!! Ordered.. and thanks for the alternative as Royal Mail is frightful.. 🙏🏼

  • @tashuntka
    @tashuntka Před rokem

    Delightful 👍👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👍

  • @rogerpartner2648
    @rogerpartner2648 Před rokem

    51 AXES . Is a great Line. It would make amazing Film title or poem title. I love the English languages. Xx

  • @rupertchalk9145
    @rupertchalk9145 Před 2 lety +4

    I was intrigued by the chalk balls, amongst the other exhibits. I found one in my front garden in Brighton (Sussex) and had understood it to be an object used to decalcify chalk-water. Any views?

  • @czarina7786
    @czarina7786 Před 2 lety

    Magnificent!!!! Is this going to travel ? Ty !

  • @mortalclown3812
    @mortalclown3812 Před rokem +2

    Not sure the hard work of digging in the sun would be anything I'd care for, but I'm bloomin' grateful for what archaeologists have done through the centuries - especially the diggers. Thank you for getting these fascinating stories.

  • @williambodin5359
    @williambodin5359 Před rokem +1

    "No one knows who they were... or what they were doing... but their legacy remains... hewn into the living rock of Stonehenge."

    • @britishmuseum
      @britishmuseum  Před rokem +1

      Where the banishees live and they do live well

  • @MrTorleon
    @MrTorleon Před 2 lety +2

    Thank you, superbly presented information, providing clarity on new discoveries and materials. Very enjoyable and satisfying to watch and listen to - very well done indeed :)

  • @K-FOREST_Original
    @K-FOREST_Original Před 2 lety +1

    Hi! How are you?
    There has been no rain in Korea/Seoul this year. With this severe drought, I'm worried about farming and many other things.
    I hope you have good health and good things for the rest of the week. Thank you very much.

  • @madmonkee6757
    @madmonkee6757 Před rokem +1

    It's prehistory because it is. History starts when we start writing (and stop losing the records). Prehistory ended a very long time ago in the Middle East, and much more recently in the Americas. (Many of the people of the Americas had ways of keeping records, but unfortunately, a lot of the records have been lost and the knowledge of how to read or interpret them have often also been lost.)

  • @keiththompson5173
    @keiththompson5173 Před 2 lety +1

    Fantastic exhibition. Visit it in the flesh if you can

  • @SkippackCougar
    @SkippackCougar Před 6 měsíci

    love the video and your star of david.

  • @christopherwall444
    @christopherwall444 Před 2 lety +1

    Please speak about where and how these beautiful elements.. gold neck pieces..were found? Just dug up around Stonehenge? Or how

  • @Petch1
    @Petch1 Před rokem

    It's a shame I missed the exhibition. I have a fascination with Stonehenge and the pre history period.

  • @WalterBurton
    @WalterBurton Před 2 lety +4

    What?! "Prehistoric" has a very specific meaning. It's all about the written record. I have other notes, but, overall, good job. Great show. 👍👍👍

  • @draigaur9543
    @draigaur9543 Před 2 lety +2

    Shame the exhibition can’t travel the country.thank you for sharing via social media.

  • @sagapoetic8990
    @sagapoetic8990 Před 2 lety +1

    Is the gold that has been found in burials within Stonehenge area/Wiltshire -- from Wiltshire? Thank you for this informative video.

  • @carolnorton2551
    @carolnorton2551 Před 2 lety +1

    Imagine when metallurgy was new and the Nebra disk had just come out and people thought
    "Well now Stonehenge is unnecessary and obsolete"...Like when computers came out and there was
    all that talk about saving paper and books becoming obsolete.

  • @AncientHistorySecrets

    Nice 👍