Talk:The Merry Maidens

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[edit] Neolithic?

The article describes the circle as being neolithic. Citation for this? Just because it is made of stone doesn't make it "stone age". I don't have a citation dating this specific site, but it is likely to be contemporary with "early bronze age" stone circles (c.3500-2000 BC). JimChampion 00:28, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

The above made me go away and do some reading. Toni Maree Rowe in "Cornwall in Prehistory" (Tempus 2005) discusses the age of Cornish stone circles, and the various interpretations over the years. Summarises by saying that they are of a late neolithic/early bronze age transitional type. The division into stone/bronze/iron age is not rigid anyway. Aubrey Burl in "The Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany" (Yale University Press 2000) describes them as being late neolithic. This book is an authoritative tome on the stone circles, so I'll go with his dating. Thus there have been no relevant finds at Penwith circles that would enable a carbon-dating type approach (which has been so useful for dating e.g. burial monuments). JimChampion 09:36, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

So to summarise it is neolithic? add the citation if you think its necessary. take careMammal4 15:01, 29 October 2006 (UTC)

"Current opinion" is that its late neolithic (see any of the books in the References section) so I'd leave it as that. Its an "annoying" thing about stone circles that they're not really open to carbon-dating. The older long barrows and more recent round barrows are easier because they often contain human remains (or other organic material) from the original burials. Neolithic earthworks sometimes have antler picks and so on buried in their ditches. Plain stone circles, like the Merry Maidens, tend to have very little in the way of 'artefacts' so the dating is done using imprecise "old-fashioned" methods. I wouldn't worry about a citation, it could be made more vague (i.e. late neolithic/early bronze age) if anyone strongly objects. JimChampion 19:14, 29 October 2006 (UTC) Bold text

[edit] Template:Megalith

I've created a new template for megalithic sites, Template:Megalith, as used on Pikestones and Round Loaf. Some instructions on the template talk page, to show how to use it. Cheers! --PopUpPirate 13:29, 23 February 2007 (UTC)