It all started with a simple ride in the woods. George Bird, a 24 -year -old student passionate about archeology, did not believe in the idea that an erect and isolated stone in the Farley Moor forest could be a unique monument, reports the Popular Mechanics online media. For him, there must have been much more than that and he was right: this peaceful place of the Derbyshire actually hid the vestiges of an old ceremonial site.
George Bird has explored wood with his friends for years. His long hikes often lead him to circles of stones, and he was particularly interested in a stone erected of about a ninety meter. “I tried to send a fairly documented report of what I found in the area”, he confides to the BBC. It is this report sent to Forestry England, the government agency responsible for managing and promoting English public forests, which sparked excavations.
The analysis of the terrain revealed a ritual platform surrounded by stones formerly erected, all positioned around a natural source. The latter still feeds the Bentley Brook today, a stream that flows into the Derwent river. For archaeological teams, this only emphasizes the central importance of water in the rites of the time.
Dated 1,700 BC, the site reveals continuous ritual use by Bronze Age Communities. The archaeological teams identified five stones probably integrated into a circle forming an oval 25 meters long by 23 meters wide. As for the stone platform, it is prior to the Menhir still visible today.
Of protagonist enthusiast
“What we have discovered is proof of a much more complex ceremonial landscape, of which the original erect stone is part”comments Lawrence Shaw, senior historical advisor at Forestry England. In addition, in partnership with the government agency, the team of the British program “Time Team” took part in the excavations that have been the subject of a complete episode available on YouTube.
Today, the site is protected and other excavation campaigns are scheduled for this summer. Archaeologists hope to determine the extent of the complex and the date it was created for the first time. The discovery at Farley Moor suggests that there could be several ceremonial sites still not discovered nearby.
“We would never have done anything without George”says Lawrence Shaw. “It was his idea, and he was part of the team in our eyes. (…) This shows the power to be curious and ask questions. ” A great recognition for an archeology lover who has become an actor of a major discovery.
