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The Valley of Stones is a natural, geological sarsen train (line of stones) but the landscape has been used by people throughout history. Although a National Nature Reserve, SSSI and a scheduled monument the valley of stones has seen limited investigation by archaeologists, something we are going to correct. We are undertaking a community archaeology project called ‘Living Amongst the Sarsens’ in Partnership with Natural England. This has been made possible thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund and FiPL (Farming in a Protected Landscape, Dorset Special Landscape). As part of this we are going to record all the sarsen stones in the Valley of Stones.
What are sarsen stones?
Sarsen stones are a natural geological phenomenon. The sarsen stones in the Valley of Stones were formed about 55 million years ago when a large river laid down a 4m- 10m thick deposit of pebbles and sands on top of the chalks that were already in this area. Over the course of about 30,000 years of hot and humid conditions these deposits, aided by the remains of silica rich plants, transformed into patches of solid rock. When any loose material eroded away large boulders were left lying behind- the sarsens. Since their formation these have naturally slipped down into the valley where they can be seen today.
Sarsen is a very hard stone, and by appearance alone it can sometimes be mistaken for concrete! There are two types of sarsens in the Valley of Stones, conglomerate and saccharoid. Sometimes these are banded, and give the appearance of stripes in the stones.
Why are we interested in these stones?
Our interest in sarsens first started when we were investigating the Kingston Russell Stone Circle and the Grey Mare and Her Colts. These are two Neolithic monuments that were built using sarsen from the Valley of Stones. There are several other prehistoric monuments in this part of Dorset that were also made using it for example the Hell Stone and the Nine Stones Stone Circle.
Katy Whittaker is an expert in archaeological sarsen stones, and when she visited the Valley of Stones she identified lots of ways in which the stones have been modified by people. She spotted stones that have had holes drilled into then for dynamite charges, and stones that had been split apart. This is evidence of C18th and C19th industrial ‘extraction’. Sarsen stones are so hard they make good materials for buildings and road construction. Some will have been ground into smaller pieces to use as hardcore, others worked into shapes and used as bricks or slabs.
We have also found a polissoir in the Valley of Stones. This is a stone that was used for polishing stone axes 4000 years ago. If we have evidence of the stones being used in prehistory and 200 years ago, we presume that they were also used in the intermediate years. Our sarsen survey is going to record every stone in the Valley of Stones, looking out evidence of human activity. To get involved sign up for our mailing list. Places are currently fully booked for our next workshop but there will be more!
If you want to know more about archaeological sarsens we will be publishing a Christmas series of posts on social media, demonstrate some of what we already know about sarsens in the area, and will highlight the importance of the Valley of Stones. Follow our socials to learn more.
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