Tag Archives: archaeology

Mystical and Mysterious Megaliths in Carnac, France

Black and white photography is oft-times better, especially when you wish to see the texture and depth of an object or scene and not simply be dazzled by the ‘prettiness’ of colour.

Legends have offered many explanations for the placement of thousands of Neolithic standing stones in rows or wavelike patterns at Carnac in Britanny, France. The chronicles of Julius Caesar mention that he met with a Druid chieftain within the complex of stones at Carnac and one legend claims that the unwelcome Roman legions were turned into the lines of stones.
 

Standing stones at Carnac in Brittany, France


 
The stark beauty of the unadorned stone is frequently better seen in black and white, so here is a continuation of the previous photo essay in colour. And this time the mood of the place itself is, in my mind, better interpreted by the black and white photos.
 

Standing stones as far as the eye can see at Carnac in Britanny, France. B&W


 
Faces are often seen in these wonderful stones and my own interpretation of the picture below is this. Of the 4 largest stones, from left to right, one might see a lion facing to the right, a cobra-faced man, and an elephant facing left with part of its trunk knocked off.
 

Craggy faces in stone at Carnac in Britanny, France


 

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The Silent Stones of Carnac

The mysterious megalithic standing stones at Carnac in Britanny, northern France, had been on our list of places to see for many years. So we were pleased to be able to take a side jaunt as we drove from the top of France to the bottom over a three day period. We arrived on the last day of winter, a mere one day before the official Spring re-opening for the tourists and the reinstatement of the guided tours.
 

Yellow blooms against mysterious gray megalithic stones at Carnac, Britanny, France


 
There are thousands upon thousands of these standing stones spread out over several miles. It is simply stunning to see this many ancient megaliths in one place!
 

Megalithic stones at Carnac in Britanny, France stretch as far as the eye can see


 
There were no admission costs to pay since we were out of season, but we also found ourselves locked out and unable to walk around the stones and we had to make do with viewing them across the ugly and flimsy wire fence that surrounded the entire area. I won’t lie — that was quite disappointing.
 

Fences keep visitors away from the Carnac stones unless accompanied by a guide


 
Over the years we have visited many stone circles or megaliths or dolmens and the only time we have been restricted from walking right up to the stones was at Stonehenge in England. I suppose that the reasoning behind the decision to enclose the Carnac stones within a fence is for the same reasons as the Stonehenge separation from the hoards of tourists — to minimize potential damage. But apparently it was a decision that has angered many of the local residents who resent the change in policy and the requirement to pay an ‘official guide’ to accompany them.
 

Sign at Carnac standing stones explains the requirement for an official guide


 
One of the interesting aspects of visiting ancient stone sites has always been the ability to reach out and touch the stones and ‘tune in’ to any residual energy that still dwells within. We were unable to do that in this place and I must admit, it left me with a curiously ‘detached’ feeling about a place that I had so looked forward to visiting prior to our arrival.
 

Ancient megalithic standing stones at Carnac in Britanny, France


 
Just as in the much smaller Avebury complex in England, the stones are within a village that has grown up around the ancient site. But it was surprising to see just how very, very close some of the stones were to the well-established houses.
 

White house nestled amongst the standing stones at Carnac in Britanny, France


 

Standing stones in Carnac run right up to the village houses


 
I can’t really comment on the quality of the guided tour since we were there out of season and didn’t pay the €9 fee, but the Carnac Standing Stones are an interesting stop in Britanny and certainly well worth a detour if you are in that part of France.

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The British Museum in Lovely London

Changes, changes, so many changes. Many hours of my life were spent in the British Museum and the British Reading Room within back in the early 1990s when I was working on my Master of Arts degree and I felt that I knew the place rather well.
 

British Museum Front Entry


 
The exterior looked the same as we walked towards the steps from Great Russell Street. But the internal changes were apparent within a few seconds of entry — and as we stepped from the outer lobby into the new inner courtyard, I heard myself say aloud, “Whoa! This is stunning!””
 

British Museum Inner Court


 
I’ve had several of these moments in the last few days. It would be simplistic to expect the London that I loved to stay in a time capsule, but the changes I see both inside and outside of iconic buildings is prompting a sense of amazement.

The reframing of the space inside the British Museum has been done in such a way that it adds both drama and aesthetic pleasure to a visit there. I am therefore pleased to allow the cobwebs of my personal memory be swept away by the new broom of such stunning architectural design.

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Marching Through History in Amsterdam

How small they were, those suits of armor. How diminutive were the heroes that defended the realm and bore that metallic outer layer upon their arms and chests. Marching, marching — doing what was expected of them.

Suits of Armor

Suit of Armor

I was surprised when I stood quite close to several of the exhibits and realized that the men who wore those metal suits were, in many cases, quite a bit smaller of frame and shorter of stature than most contemporary 20th or 21st century women. And these tiny men fought quite furious battles on land and sea to conquer lands or defend their homes. They were certainly smaller than I am and I’m not a very big person at 5 and 1/2 feet tall.

Perhaps it was the gloomy palette of the winter day outside and the icy-gusty rain, but between the paintings and exhibits of military life or the life aboard a sailing ship in both the Rijksmuseum yesterday afternoon and the Amsterdam Historisch Museum today, I experienced a strong sense of sadness for those lives that may have had intense boredom or bodily discomfort layered into their daily existence. I actually shuddered at one particularly vivid picture of two ships, side by side, engaged in a fiery, bloody battle. None of it seemed remotely stirring or the least bit grand or glamorous.

Exterior of the Rijksmuseum

Our afternoon at the Rijksmuseum was quite pleasant in spite of the mid-winter crowds and it was marvelous to revisit the work of Rembrandt after two decades, see his evolution as a painter, and compare the work of his contemporaries.
 

 

Corbel known as The Milkmaid

Corbel known as The Milkmaid

Wooden statue from 15th century

Wooden statue from 15th century

1960s-70s Kitchen

1960s-70s Kitchen


 
 
 
For me personally, the most enjoyable parts of our visit to the Amsterdam Historisch Museum were the fine wooden carvings that were displayed on the exterior of buildings during the 15th through 17th centuries and the exhibits on daily life in Amsterdam. There were cross sections of model houses that showed how the citizens of this city lived in various eras and set-ups of entire period rooms.

Some of the exhibits were both difficult to view and eerily fascinating at the same time. We had walked through room after room, era after era until we reached the top floor of this large museum and we came upon an entire series of displays that illustrated what life was like for Amsterdam citizens during the 5 year long German occupation of World War II. It was compelling viewing and I have included a few photos below of propaganda posters that can be enlarged if you click on them.

Picture of Judenstrasse during German occupation

German Propaganda Posters

This is a particularly comprehensive one-city-only historical museum that is housed in a splendidly large building. The exhibits are quite easy to understand, even if you don’t speak a word of Dutch! In fact, almost all of the museum has both Dutch and English captioning. A visit to this museum is a highly recommended way to spend several hours in Amsterdam.

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©Deborah Harmes and ©A Wanderful Life
Please respect the copyright of all text and photos on this website.
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