ancient cornwall – Notes from the Far Beyond

Maps

of the Ancient Sites and Alignments of Cornwall

These maps go through an update about every six months – they were first researched and constructed between 2015 and 2022. They’ve just gone through another update.

You won’t notice much of a visible difference, because they’re also a database of information about each ancient site and alignment – and it is mostly these details that get updated. I have also done some weeding of a few alignments that are less plausible. Just click on any symbol or line, and info about it will pop up – including links to other useful sites, map references and more details.

The positioning of all ancient sites on the map is pretty exact, so you can use it to find them in the field. With a few carefully thought-through exceptions, all alignments are accurate to within just 3 metres or 10ft.

However, when you’re out visiting and ‘bothering’ sites, please consider this. Geomantic energies and mobile-phone signals are not compatible – it’s like playing heavy metal music loudly, next to a tinkling stream. So if you approach ancient sites with your phone switched on, you’re not only desensitising yourself, but also you are tampering with the energy-fields of the site you’re visiting. Just because what we call ‘earth energies’ cannot currently be detected by scientific instruments, it does not mean that this will always be the case. So pls to do not contribute to the contamination of the subtle energy-fields of ancient sites – whether or not you believe what I’m talking about. Thank you!

And do enjoy using the maps. They’re for you – if you’re mad on Cornwall.

https://www.ancientpenwith.org/maps.html

Love, Palden

The End of a World

and how the Tin Trade ended Cornish Megalithic Civilisation

This is for readers who are interested in ancient sites in Cornwall

I’m an historian who is deeply interested in prehistory, and I have an historian’s viewpoint, looking at longer-term processes at work over time. Over the last fifteen years I have done a lot of research in West Penwith, Cornwall, where I live, and here are a few new thoughts on that matter.

By examining its alignments system (see above) I was able to demonstrate that Penwith constituted a complete, integrated and focused magical landscape, an upgraded local ecosystem, and a cultured people who were at their peak in the Bronze Age.

This is about the transition from a matrifocal to a patriarchal culture, incrementally taking place during the Bronze Age.

Now a peripheral place, in that time Penwith was a central place because long-distance travel took place by sea and river – the land was extensively wooded and tracks were muddy. Penwith lay on an ancient maritime trading and cultural corridor stretching from Iberia to Britain and Ireland, so boats came from Europe every summer, landing at St Michael’s Mount.

This pod is about the social and psycho-spiritual changes that went on through the 1,200 years of the megalithic part of the Bronze Age. It was a pretty sustainable culture, yet it was eventually overtaken by events.

An enchantment, uplifting the land and people, was shattered. The megalithic period came to an end around 1200 BCE. It was the end of a world – the Bronze Age Collapse, affecting Egypt, Greece, Mesopotamia and the whole of western Eurasia.

Recorded in the bluebell woods on our farm. For more about Penwith’s ancient sites, look here: ancientpenwith.org or here.

With love, Palden

Listen to the podcast here: https://palden.co.uk/podcasts.html or here on Spotify:

The Ancient Lands of Cornwall and Scilly

The Cornwall Chapters in Shining Land

This might interest those of you who are interested!

These are two chapters from my book about Penwith’s ancient sites, called Shining Land – except these two are about the whole of Cornwall.

From an alternative archaeologist’s viewpoint. With a few speculations thrown in for consideration. Food for thought. With love from the far end in (currently) wind-blown Penwith.

It’s a 20ish minute read (goes well with a mug of tea). I might do an audio version sometime – you never know.

https://www.palden.co.uk/files/ShiningLand-CornwallChapters.pdf

With love, Palden