Ancient Stones of Kernow

17/09/2024

One I have never visited.

Tregiffian Vean Chambered Cairn

16/09/2024

The last site visit on our standard day tour.

Wanting to step back into our ancient past? Located near Penzance, Carn Euny ancient village is a fascinating place to explore!

One of the best-preserved ancient villages in the whole of the South West, Carn Euny consists of a number of “courtyard houses” of a type unique to West Cornwall. Rooms, huts, workshops and stables are built around a central courtyard, with a substantial doorway leading from the courtyard to the lanes and “streets” of the village. It is thought to have been occupied from about 500BCE to 400CE.

There is so much to discover there including the site’s most mysterious feature, the fogou. ‘Fogou’ is from the Cornish word “vau” which means ‘cave’. The Carn Euny fogou is considered unique in that it leads to a stone-lined round chamber that has partly collapsed. It is an exceptionally well-preserved example. It consists of a passage about 20m (65ft) long, a side passage leading to the unusual circular stone-walled chamber (the domed roof of which has collapsed), and a tiny creep-passage, possibly the original entrance. Excavations so far have given a date of between 500 and 300BCE for the fogou.

What fogous were used for remains a mystery and source of heated discussion between archaeologists and historians. Theories put forward include food stores, refuges, charnel houses, ceremonial and religious functions. One of the thrills of visiting the site is to stand in the fogou and speculate about why it was built.

Carn Euny is one of 16 historic sites we care for. They are all open to the public and free to visit. It’s because of our members that we can offer universal access to our sites and help Cornwall’s heritage flourish.

Image description: 1. Carn Euny ancient village from above (Credit: Paul Richards)

Plan your visit here https://buff.ly/3zsCo1G

15/12/2023

To add to the debate regarding the covering - partial, complete or freestanding- of the Cornish quoits. Here are two images by the late Craig Weatherill. As there is no hard archeological evidence, feel free to speculate. Trevethy quoit was apparently built on a platform of stone, according to some recent work there.

13/12/2023

The earliest architecture in this landscape and probably one of the first symbols of land ownership.

28/11/2023

A few of the many new friends it was my pleasure to take out on tours during this summer sea*on.

23/10/2023

https://soundcloud.com/martyn-jackson-music/cornish-soundscape-an-ancient-land-1?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
A stand alone piece for full orchestra, Cornish Soundscape 'An Ancient Land' is also the seminal piece from which all the musical elements of the ‘Ancient Stones of Kernow’ project are derived www.ancientstonesofkernow.co.uk. These include the commentaries that accompany the 'Ancient Stones' tours and the dance theatre piece the ballet Ancient Stones of Kernow 'Mid-Summer Rituals'. Separate videos of some of the parts of the piece can be found on YouTube channel www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ802ijBXqPwqJ8Ze9NCvuw please subscribe. These illustrate the character of landscape that inspired the piece. The music for the 'Ancient Stones of Kernow project is a computer generated orchestral simulation. The scores are written in Sibelius score system and the generated "midi" is manipuled in Logic Pro X, using Vienna Symphonic Library.

A stand alone piece for full orchestra, Cornish Soundscape 'An Ancient Land' is also the seminal piece from which all the musical elements of the ‘Ancient Stones of Kernow’ project are derived www.anc

29/04/2023

17/04/2023

A very enjoyable Lanyon Tour in the week before Easter, thanks to Madison from Lexington Kentucky.

14/04/2023

Treen Entrance Grave, possibly built by settlers from Iberia in the late Neolithic or early Bronze Age.

13/04/2023

One of a possible four Neolithic Fortified Tor Enclosures in the Penwith area all, like Carn Brea, with associated greenstone axe production close by.

23/03/2023

At Lanyon in October on the last tour of the year with Simon a keen flint collector and on Tuesday this week at Men an Tol with Liz and Ian, very knowledgeable ancient site explorers, on the first tour of this year. Looking forward to meeting lots of new friends this sea*on.