Local newspaper Ystads Allehanda reports on new fieldwork in Ravlunda by amateur archaeologist Bob G Lind and retired geology professor Nils-Axel Mörner. The last time the two enthusiastic gentlemen interfered with the Iron Age cemetery in question, they were reprimanded by the County Archaeologist. Now they are clearing brush from the site in order to make their imagined Bronze Age calendar alignments clearer.
Future plans include magnetometry mapping. Mörner is quoted as believing that this technique will allow the pair to map individual ancient footprints in the subsoil, because in his opinion, magnetometry maps "compressed earth". Lind, meanwhile, is no longer content to strip off the top 80 cm of earth across the site, but is now advocating a full meter's worth.
Asserts Mörner, "Finds show that Greek boats came here to get amber. This was sort of the Hong Kong of the Greeks." Indeed. And, I hasten to add, Atlantis was in Atlingbo parish on Gotland.
Thanks to LL of Arkland for the heads-up.
Update 14 April: Ground-penetrating radar survey under way, hypotheses still wacky, local press still credulous. Thanks to Tobias for the tip.
[More blog entries about archaeology, archaeoastronomy, skepticism, Sweden, pseudoscience; arkeologi, arkeoastronomi, Skåne, skepticism, skepsis, pseudovetenskap.]
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Depressingly enough, the reporting is completely credulous.
Yeah, it's really sad. The regional rag Kvällsposten has the same uncritical attitude.
Why do local media like this type of wierd interpretations of archaeological places so much??
Interesting news that Atlingbo was Atlantis by the way, make sure you got that published in Popark immediately!
I could never contribute to that magazine after learning that the editor believes that Birka was at Kalmar in SmÃ¥land. I'll stake my professional reputation any day that Birka was at Bjärka-Säby in Ãstergötland!!!
Yes Birka was at Bjärka Säby, on the island Björkön in the lake Stora Rängen (aprox 1,5 km from the present castle).
MR wrote: "I'll stake my professional reputation any day that Birka was at Bjärka-Säby in Ãstergötland!!!"
There is no great risk there. The misconception that Birka (and Hovgården) is located at Björkö/Adelsö is since long rejected in my part of the world. I happen to be settled right in the center frpm which the Early Swedish State emerged, that is: close to Bjärka/Birka and in the village of HOVetorp. And we have loads of stones aligned in different important directions.
What none of you seem to realize is that Birka was in fact located to Bergkvara, the first part of that placename being 'birk-'. And as a further proof of that the small hamlet of Oxlehall some kilometers west of Bergkvara was spelled Wpsalehald in 1536. Finallay, as you all know there is a lot of stone in Småland. Surely the whole landscape must be interpreted as one gigantic Bronze Age calendar!
A straight line can be drawn from a point slightly west of the High Altar in Linköping Cathedral and the centre of the great cairn at Kivik!!!1!
Hi Martin - I thought you might be interested to know that Mörner is now being presented by the UK's Sunday Telegraph newspaper as a world-ranking authority on the effects of global warming: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/christopherbooker/5067351…