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Start Finding Your
Own Ancient Stones
The first thing you need to do when you decide to
become a stone hunter, is to get hold of a good map or
preferably a set of maps. In the United Kingdom, the Ordnance Survey
produce excellent maps for stone hunting and there are two
series that are most suitable, the Landranger 1:50,000
series and
the Explorer 1:25,000 series. The Explorer series is
recommended as it offers more detail then the Landranger
series and more stones will be shown.
The next thing to do is get hold of a soft pencil and
spread the map on a flat surface such as a table. Then
carefully study each grid square and circle anything that
indicates a possible stone or stones. Yes, it is okay to
mark the map, they are yours after all and you can always
rub the pencil out later. Typical obvious
examples are standing stones, stone circles and named
stones. There are also other clues to possible stones such
as place names with "stone" in the title, holy
wells are often marked by stones, geographical features and
ancient sites such as hill forts, mounds, ancient trackways,
burial chambers
and so on may also have stones associated with them.
Next plan a day trip, taking in no more than about 3 or 4
sites. This may not seem a lot but some stones may be very
difficult and time consuming to find or may involve a long
walk. Food and drink are a must as is suitable clothing for
the location and weather conditions. You also want to have
time to examine the location, to look for other items of
interest that may be associated with the stone or stones.
At your chosen standing stone or stone circle, have a
good look at the stones themselves, the general areas and
also the surroundings. The whole setting goes towards making
up the entire site. Its also worth having a close look for
any signs of activity at the site. keep an eye open for
anything unusual such as animal remains, candles, marks
indicating burning such as soot, quartz pebbles, food
offerings and so on. All these are indicators that some form
of ritual activity may have taken place recently. Please get
in touch if you find anything at any of the sites listed in
Ancient Stones.
Finally, when out in the field, there are times when you
will be disappointed, perhaps not being able to find a stone
or the stone my just be a small and un-interesting rock. Try
and stick with it, the next one might just be truly amazing!
Also, a word of caution. The thrill and excitement of
finding a stone for the first time can be addictive. |
