Meet the Henge Builders

[Ishtar]

[Digit]

[Ishtar]

[Digit]

[Ishtar]

[CShark]

[Digit]

And maths Ish.
The speed of sound at sea level is approximately 745mph.
The diam of the outer ring at SH is 100ft.
A drummer in the centre would be 50ft from each side, so if my calculations are correct, the sound from a drum would take .05 of a sec to come back to the drummer and .1 of a sec to reach a stone behind him then another .05 of a sec to reflect back to the drummer.
So sub multples of that, plus reflections from the other stones should I belive result in a sound that rose and fell as long as the drumming continued.
This is unlikely, discounting alien visitation, to be something that stone age man calculated. Most probably the knowledge would have come via caves, (the roofed in structure?) and also would account for the various rebuilds that took place at SH.
All this could be wrong I emphasize again, even some of the holes may be mistakes, you're digging it here, I wanted it there, you're digging it round and I wanted it square!.
With apologies to Bernard Cribbins.
So on those calculations, if I haven't boobed Ish, 5 a second would be ideal!

[Digit]

I had a clearout of books some time ago Shark, small house, but all that I have quoted can be found via the internet. Some of the sources are only amongst the records of learned societies and need quite a bit of chasing down.
Much of what I've posted is done so from memory I'm afraid.
The papers from such as the British Academy are wonderful in that, starting with some of the early ones, you can follow the development of a theory and the sometimes heated debates that follow.
The British Archaeology mag is a good source as well and copies of back issues are downloadable.
BBC Wales and the Pembrokeshire Arch Soc are also big on the subject.

[Digit]

Shark and Ish.
Just to prove I'm not aboard a hobby horse etc, found this.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2003/ ... ogy.farout

[kbs2244]

Digit;
It seems sound has a big influence in the design of these big old piles of stone.
Two places to get started are:

Acoustics a Silbury Hill

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/serv ... s00600a005

A forum devoted to the acoustics of Properties Of Dolmen Megalithic Chambers, Sound and Megaliths

http://www.stonepages.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=710

[Digit]

We have to avoid our feelings ronning away with us KB but the acoustic theories open up a completely new understanding of what might be the reason behind SH
But despite my warning of feelings, I can only imagine that the affect on people within a massive stone circle, with ears assailed by a wavering drum beat that they can also feel deep within themselves, and see as well, and all lit by a firey glow, must have been over powering and would fully justify the effort that went into is construction.
No modern church would compare.

[Ishtar]

[CShark]

[Digit]

Quite possibly Bob, but, again, like everything else about SH, possibly not.
If you carried out Shaministic ceremonies in a cave, then likely a fire would be used for illumination as well as effect, the rest could follow.
Granted that the reasons would not be understood. For example, if the drum beat reached the corrected repetition rate to send the Shaman into his entrance state and the dimensions of the cave were anything like ideal, the standing wave and wavering echoes would occur.
I'll guess here that the standing wave would be interpreted as a spirit entering or the Shaman's spirit leaving.
SH has been developed in the same manner as Salisbury Cathedral has, which could indicate attempts to deliberately create the effect they desired.
Take a look at the inner stone 'horse shoe' and see if you note anything of interest.
I won't say more as I would like to hear your ideas.

[CShark]