1864 dig found Boscawen's central pillar already tilted; Camden recorded it in 1589

October 30, 2026EnglandGeneralShare

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Key facts

• William Camden, in Britannia (1589), described 'a place called Biscowoon' as 19 stones in a circle, 12 ft from each other, with one stone within the circle much larger than the rest; he did not mention any lean.
• William Stukeley, present in 1749, remarked that the stone may have been disturbed by somebody looking for treasure.
• 1864 was the first scientific study of the area around the circle, and excavation reports showed that the central stone already had its inclination at that time.
• The speakers note the resulting problem: either something happened between 1589 and 1749, or Camden did not consider the lean of the stone worth mentioning.
• An excavation report (cited as being by Aubrey Burl) stated that the inclination was deliberate, though not certain.
• The stone leans toward the solstice sunrise and away from the circle's entrance; the speakers express doubt that such an angle could be maintained for thousands of years without the stone being sunk deep and packed with blocking stones.

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