Episode 39: An Exploration of Stonehenge's Enigma and British Cuisine
Aug 14, 2023Episode 39
Marty Smarticus
How was Stonehenge built? And, what if those iconic Bluestones had healing properties? This episode promises to transport you back in time, shedding light on the enigmatic monument and its myriad of secrets. Alongside our co-host Phoenix, we will guide you through a captivating exploration of Stonehenge's construction, its historical significance, and the intriguing theories around the healing attributes of the Bluestones.
But wait, there's more! We're not only delving into Britain's rich history, we're also tasting it. Drawing on historical cooking traditions, we introduce you to the rustic charm of traditional British breakfast foods, including Bacon Fraise- a hearty dish dating back to the 15th century. From the recipe of this quintessential dish to a lively debate on the art of cooking eggs, we're serving history, mystery, and a delightful culinary experience all in one episode! So, join us on this multifaceted journey and savor the cultural marvels of Britain.
How was Stonehenge built? And, what if those iconic Bluestones had healing properties? This episode promises to transport you back in time, shedding light on the enigmatic monument and its myriad of secrets. Alongside our co-host Phoenix, we will guide you through a captivating exploration of Stonehenge's construction, its historical significance, and the intriguing theories around the healing attributes of the Bluestones.
But wait, there's more! We're not only delving into Britain's rich history, we're also tasting it. Drawing on historical cooking traditions, we introduce you to the rustic charm of traditional British breakfast foods, including Bacon Fraise- a hearty dish dating back to the 15th century. From the recipe of this quintessential dish to a lively debate on the art of cooking eggs, we're serving history, mystery, and a delightful culinary experience all in one episode! So, join us on this multifaceted journey and savor the cultural marvels of Britain.
Alright, enough with the Echo and Fanfare. You're here for history, right, and not that boring crap you learned in high school. This stuff's actually interesting, like things you've never heard about the Civil War, cleopatra, automobiles, monopoly, the Black Plague and more Fascinating stories, interesting topics and some downright weird facts from the past. It's a new twist on some stories you may know and an interesting look at some things you may have never heard. So grab a beer, kick back and enjoy. Here's your host, smarticus.
Speaker 3:
Hello and welcome to this week's episode of Smarticus Tells History, where we explore some of the most fascinating stories from history. I am your host, smarticus, accompanied by my co-host, phoenix.
Speaker 2:
Hello.
Speaker 3:
Today, we'll be exploring the mysteries of Stonehenge, one of the world's most famous prehistoric monuments. Located in Wiltshire, england, it is an iconic symbol of Britain, attracting millions of worldwide visitors every year. But despite centuries of study and excavation, stonehenge still holds many secrets.
Speaker 2:
Yes, but first food. Today we're eating a working man's breakfast food called Bacon Phrase. This dish goes all the way back to the 15th century and is considered a working man's breakfast. It was typically eaten by agricultural workers to keep them going through the long, hard day. A comparison would be toad in the hole with sausage. Bacon Phrase comes from Wiltshire, where Stonehenge is, and, interestingly enough, is rather synonymous with pig farming.
Speaker 3:
Okay, what in the Tarnation is toad in a hole?
Speaker 2:
sausage with sausage, you don't know what that is.
Speaker 3:
No, is that like a? Is that like a pig in a blanket?
Speaker 2:
Kind of it's, it's one of their, I mean like it's a national dish, Okay, and it's kind of like. The way I understand it, it's a what are they called? I'm trying to think of them Popovers, so it's kind of like a popover, but it has it has a sausage link in it.
Speaker 1:
Okay.
Speaker 2:
That makes any sense. You should look it up there. It looks delicious. I can't. I would love to make it. I haven't had the opportunity to yet.
Speaker 3:
I think I know what you're talking about. I think I have seen that before. Yeah.
Speaker 2:
You know honestly the way this recipe turns out. I think you could make it really sweet, uh-huh, really delicious if you add it in fruits and stuff.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, oh yeah, yes, but that's a good idea. When I do my eggs and stuff like scrambled eggs or whatever, well, scrambled over or an omelet, I guess If I have Irish cream, coffee creamer, I will use that instead of milk. Okay, and it is super good. I have tried a handful of other like coffee creamers in there. Now I see the liquid kind. Don't go putting the powder in there, oh God, no Case. Anyways, you know, questioning or thinking about doing it and all they have is the powder. Don't go do that, no, but use the. You know, use the refrigerated liquid creamer which, by the way, the international delights Irish creamer is extremely hard to find now.
Speaker 2:
Really, I didn't know that.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, at least here in Oklahoma City you go to Dollar General, the Commissary Walmart Crest, which is like our dillens Uh-huh it's, you can't find it, wow. And yet somehow 7-Eleven still manages to get it.
Speaker 2:
Um maybe they bought the rights.
Speaker 3:
Maybe we. I went into 7-Eleven one day and they had the bottle there. Now I did go to the commissary one day it was a commissary at Walmart and they had it. They had like moved it into like the center aisle instead of in the fridges by the milk and stuff. They moved it into the center aisle and they had a whole bunch of coffee creamer in there and there was like three bottles in there, so I grabbed two of them. I really wanted to grab the third one, but I was like I don't want to be that person that just takes them all for himself, so I only took two instead of three. But anyways, um, yeah, I see this here. I don't think I've had this toe in the hole Before. It does look familiar, though it's possible. I did have it. It seriously does remind me of pigs in the blanket, except it's in there just like bundled together instead of like in a croissant. Yep, that's more or less what it looks like to me. But yeah, you can go look that up if you guys are interested.
Speaker 2:
Remember it's not from Wiltshire, where Stonehenge is from, it's just a general national ditch. But back to the bacon phrase. It's pretty simple. It's needs self-rising flour, nutmeg, salt pepper, four large eggs, some milk and some bacon and you do it all in one dish, in one pan, and it's kind of like like my grandma used to make something called flapjacks and she was from Louisiana and they're they're a thick like this, and I know you said it was really flowery for you but I I can't.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, I just put it into this one and it's not. I mean, it's still flowery, but it's not as flowery as like as the first couple I had, and I might've just had some that didn't cook all the way.
Speaker 2:
That makes sense.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, and that might be part of why I was stationed at Moore, because this one says it's just one.
Speaker 2:
Hmm, yeah, I will say that this recipe made I mean, I made two ginormous hands of the bacon. Phrase One my husband tried to eat in one sitting and couldn't get through. I'm eating a fourth of mine. Yeah, I'll be eating it the rest of the week for breakfast.
Speaker 3:
I put some in some containers to take to work tomorrow, nice. But I got probably I don't know half of it here in that large skillet that I had. I may or may not eat it all, I don't know. I didn't eat much today, so there's a good chance that I might eat it all. Just for that reason it is pretty good. The closer that I get towards the center it does have more, have more flavor. Now I put a whole bag of cheese in mine. It wasn't like one of those you know five pound bags or like a. It was one of those smaller, you know smaller bags that you can get. Sure it was, it was. And cheese is like chocolate chips I love you measure that with heart.
Speaker 3:
You don't let the rest of you tell you how much to put on there. Yeah, I love cheese so much that I've been seriously considering getting a cheese budget and just signing up for, like, different kinds of cheese, like those, like those monthly things that they do.
Speaker 2:
Yes, we were thinking about doing that too, actually, which is so funny.
Speaker 3:
And it's like it's like $100 a month or whatever. But you get a large amount of exotic cheeses and stuff. And I was like man, like I do love my cheese. We have a company here it's called a hot and cheesy, not a sponsor. That's hilarious. They get their cheese from like what is it? Like Fisher's Market or whatever it's called. They're down in Texas and they're a supplier for them, so they get all kinds of different cheese from them and they get summer sausage and stuff from them. So I usually get a roll or summer sausage and a roll, or they come in like cubes, the blocks, yeah, and like a block it's a big. It's a big block though it's like a. It's like a two square inch block. That's maybe I don't know, six inch, six to eight inches long.
Speaker 1:
So it's pretty good.
Speaker 3:
It's pretty good size block of cheese. They have smoked garlic and it's really good, I have no doubt. But yeah, so I put a whole bunch of cheese in mine and and then I also put.
Speaker 2:
I wonder if that play part in it too, because I just put cheese on top of mine after I finished cooking it.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, I did not do that. I mixed it all in all at the same time together.
Speaker 1:
Hmm, I know.
Speaker 3:
And I also put green peppers, red peppers, yellow peppers and onions in mine as well. Again, with the frozen, I'm a big fan. I mean I've done this like six the past six times that we've done this. What do I usually do?
Speaker 2:
I put onions in it.
Speaker 3:
I always add the green pepper and it's 99 percent time the green peppers, the onions because I just bomb the bags and it's so easy to just throw it in there.
Speaker 2:
Oh, and then you get your veggies for the day and your gun.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, and now we were also talking. You said you put potato hash in yours. Clarify potato hash.
Speaker 2:
I made some potato hash and I made it to go with it.
Speaker 3:
I was going to do the same thing with the shredded potato hash browns that I have, or the cubed hash browns I didn't know which one. I was just going to mix it in again all together, all at the same time.
Speaker 2:
I was thinking about doing that next time, because I'm definitely making this again because it's pretty good. Like I said, if you get the recipe right no, if you get the recipe right it comes out so big that you should be able to eat off of it all week.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, mine's. It's roughly a half inch, maybe a little bit more maybe three quarters of an inch. I mean it feels that pretty good. I mean I'm eating mine like a pizza. Nice, I even use a pizza slicer to cut it up into pieces.
Speaker 2:
I used a big old honking knife, Did you? I did Well remember. I told you, I got that really thick, thick bacon. Oh, yeah. From well, I got it from Yoder, but it's not paid advertisement. But right. It's locally sourced, just a couple of miles north.
Speaker 3:
That's where I get my milk Yoder. No, locally sourced milk, I mean Gotcha and my a lot of my cheese, except for that cheese I was just talking about. Right, like if I buy like a Colby Jack, you know, like if I buy like a cube cheese, I get it from Brahms.
Speaker 1:
Nice.
Speaker 3:
Brahms Market, because the Brahms Farm, the Brahms Dairy Farm, is literally like five miles away from my house.
Speaker 2:
No way really.
Speaker 3:
Five or ten miles away from my house. Yeah, how funny. So Brahms milk is also cheaper. Again, not a sponsor.
Speaker 1:
I've heard that.
Speaker 3:
It is much because it's there. They don't have to send it to anybody. They don't. It's their own farms, your own cows. So a gallon of Brahms milk is less than three dollars Wow. So, it was like it was like two, two, eighty five or something when I paid for it. That's awesome. That's probably also in part because it is right here. So the Brahms is also only in the Midwest Right and I don't know how far, how far south or north they go, but there's like a, there's a really good question. Yeah.
Speaker 2:
I have to look it up. It doesn't matter, because we're not. We're not paid.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, we're not paid. It doesn't matter. Brahms, you want to sponsor this man. Like, hey, like yeah hit us up. Your ice cream is beautiful. You're I, I love your ice cream. Yeah, I love your cheese and your milk.
Speaker 1:
Yeah.
Speaker 3:
So We've all pretty much heard a Stonehenge at least I would hope Majority of the population has had you know somewhat of a, even up to a middle school education. We've all, at least, heard of Stonehenge. Um, I you know again, I hope um, if not Stonehenge, um, like we said, is uh over in England, um, and it's believed to have been built over a period of 1500 years, beginning around 3000 BCE. The stones are made of two types of rock the larger sarson stones, which were solidified sandstone block, and blue stones, which is a convenience label, meaning foreign stone, though it is generally accepted that these particular stones came from Priscilla Hills, which is in modern day Pembrokeshire and Wells. The sarson stones, which are the bigger of the two, are arranged in a large outer circle, some topped with stone lentils, while others have lost theirs to weather and gravity. The inner U shape is five trilithons, which is two vertical stones topped by a horizontal lentil in the center. Within each segment there are blue stone erections, some still standing, others are gone and some have fallen.
Speaker 2:
The construction of Stonehenge was an incredible feat of engineering, using the limited technology available at the time and considering that the stones weighed up to 25 tons each. The stones were transported over long distances using sludges, rollers and possibly boats. The sarson stones were shaped using stone hammers and chisels, and the blue stones were carefully selected and shaped to fit together. The stones were then erected using complex systems of levers, ramps and pulleys.
Speaker 3:
Of course, the question has to be asked what was the purpose of Stonehenge? Well, this is a question that has puzzled archaeologists for centuries. Many theories have been proposed, ranging from an astronomical observatory to a healing center, to an ancient burial site, or even May Day celebration and winter solstice. One of the most popular theories is that Stonehenge was a place of ritual and ceremony, possibly associated with the worship of the sun and moon.
Speaker 2:
The astronomical alignment of Stonehenge is one of the most striking features of the monument. The stones are arranged in a circle with a diameter of approximately 100 feet, the orientation of which is such that on the summer solstice the longest day of the year, the sun rises directly over the heel stone, a large sarson stone located outside the main circle. Similarly, on the winter solstice, the sun sets directly between two of the trilophons and the horseshoe. This suggests that Stonehenge was used as an astronomical calendar, with the movements of the sun and moon being tracked and recorded.
Speaker 3:
But Stonehenge was not just a passive observatory. Evidence suggests that it was also a site of active rituals and ceremonies. Ants have revealed the remains of several individuals who were buried at Stonehenge, including a man who was buried with a stone axe and a boar's tusk. This suggests that Stonehenge was a place of burial and possibly also a site of initiation and rites of passage. Other artifacts found at Stonehenge include antler picks, flint tools and animal bones, indicating that it was also a site of hunting and gathering.
Speaker 2:
One of the most intriguing mysteries of Stonehenge is how the blue stones, which were brought from whales, were transported over such a long distance, that being 150 miles. The journey would have involved crossing rivers, valleys and hills. Theories about how the blue stones were transported include dragging them on sledges or rollers, putting them down rivers on rafts, or even using a type of ancient railway system. Whatever method was used, it is clear that it would have been a major undertaking requiring significant resources and manpower. Still, we have to once again ask but why?
Speaker 3:
Why were the blue stones so important that the builders of Stonehenge went to such great lengths to bring them from so far away? Some researchers believe that the Bluestones may have had healing properties and that they were transported to Stonehenge because of their perceived therapeutic value. In fact, it has been suggested that Stonehenge was originally a healing center where people came to be treated for various ailments. Some researchers have even suggested that the builders of Stonehenge believed that the Bluestones had come from the heavens and that they were imbued with divine energy.
Speaker 2:
Whatever the case, one of the most puzzling aspects of Stonehenge is how it was constructed over such a long period of time. It is believed that the first phase of construction, which involved digging the circular ditch and bank that surrounds the stones, took place around 3000 BCE. The second phase, which involved the erection of the Bluestones, took place around 2100 BCE. The third phase, which included the erection of the Sarsen stones and the rearrangement of the Bluestones, took place around 1500 BCE. This means that the construction of Stonehenge spanned over 1500 years and involved several generations of builders, which, if you think about it, is a really interesting concept, though honestly, I can't imagine why in the world they would have continued that for that many generations. That's a lot of generation. I mean like the Great Stonewall of China, right, that big, huge wall. Yeah, it was three emperors work. Yeah, but it was consecutive, yeah.
Speaker 2:
It had a huge plan. This is way more than three emperors or three chiefs or whoever.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, yeah, it would have been well kings back then, probably Maybe, yeah, I'm not sure. I'm not sure what the head honcho was there, but what could have been yarls Could have been no, no, because those are yarls 3000 BCE.
Speaker 1:
That's way before.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, yeah, I don't know what it was.
Speaker 2:
It would have been different clans, yeah.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, I don't know. It just, it's very makes you question things, things that make you go, hmm, hmm.
Speaker 2:
I personally don't think that humans are that stupid. I think we could have done it.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, I mean so it could have been. I'm not a historian. I think it could have been. It could have been it could have been like slave work, possibly, or like, not necessarily like slave work, but as like punishment like, hey, you did something you shouldn't have to or you shouldn't have. We're going to send you over here to go move these stones into this formation as as part of the workforce, to work off your debt or whatever, and denture servitude or possibly people who are wanting to get into the workforce possibly people who are wanting clans who you know want to get into the workforce.
Speaker 3:
Right, because back then that was popular. I mean that was, I mean slavery has been around for millennia, so I mean it's very possible that something like that was the case, or it's very possible that, for whatever reason, that was just deemed the form of work for respectable, you know, for certain families or whatever. Like you have your blacksmith, your, you know, your smithy, your, you know whatever.
Speaker 2:
This would be stone-based, since I bet you.
Speaker 3:
Probably. Yeah, so something of that you know along those lines, possibly Because that's how it stuff was back then. I mean, that's just what they did. Yeah, you just nobody questioned why are we doing this? Nobody questioned anything, everybody just did it.
Speaker 2:
Right.
Speaker 3:
And then you know, once we started questioning things, you know when technology started to come about. Why does this? You know, why did the apple fall from the trees? Things like that.
Speaker 2:
So could we make this a little bit faster? And all of a sudden, a smithy becomes an architect.
Speaker 1:
Yeah.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, now, I did say that they use logs and stuff to roll them.
Speaker 2:
Right.
Speaker 3:
I would think surely they could have used oxen or something to pull the stones, I mean, and if you had enough logs, right? I mean, I'm not sure how the Egyptians did it, I mean, they had woolly mammoths, smart kids. Yeah, that too, you're right. But they had people too, that boob stuff, oh for sure, with the logs and whatnot. Yeah, but you're right. You're right, they had woolly mammoths and stuff. But as far as their back to this, yes.
Speaker 3:
Going back, how they involve several generations of builders and stuff like that's for that long, I mean. That's why, and first of all, it's not like it's the Great Wall of China, that's you know, spans a thousand miles.
Speaker 1:
It's 100 feet wide.
Speaker 3:
It's 100 feet wide, is what it said. Like, why did it take them 1500 years to build something that's, you know, only 100 feet wide? Come on.
Speaker 2:
Right.
Speaker 3:
It's part of that's because of the distance that they had to go, and I get that, but it was only what 150 miles or something is what it was that they had to travel. Yes, yeah, surely they could have found again. Like I said, you know, used oxen or horses, whatever, bowls, whatever they had. One theory is that the construction of Stonehenge was a communal effort, with different groups of people contributing to the building process over time. This would have required a high degree of organization and cooperation, and may have been facilitated by shared cultural beliefs and values. It is also possible that the construction of Stonehenge was a way for different communities to come together and establish a sense of shared identity and purpose.
Speaker 2:
In recent years, new technologies have allowed archaeologists to gain a better understanding of Stonehenge and its surrounding landscape. For example, ground penetrating radar has been used to map the subsurface features of the area, revealing previously unknown structures and monuments. In 2014, a team of archaeologists discovered a previously unknown circle of stones dubbed Superhenge, located just a few miles from Stonehenge. This discovery has shed new light on the complexity and extent of prehistoric monuments in the area.
Speaker 3:
I feel like I heard something about that when they made that discovery.
Speaker 2:
Yes, it was huge, but you know it's really wild is around there in southern, the southern area of um of actually of England, not the UK, but of or of Britain or whatever. Down there in the southern part there are tons of stone structures set up like circles or half circles.
Speaker 3:
I was gonna say there's probably more things to this um that they haven't found yet.
Speaker 2:
There's a lot of them. None of them are as big or as intact as Stonehenge, but there's a whole bunch.
Speaker 3:
So that also reminds me um of Easter Island, how they recently discovered oh, there's bodies attached to those heads. They're not just heads, there's bodies down there too.
Speaker 2:
Yes, and uh, why bury? Them, so maybe they weren't buried, it's possible, but how could they have sunk that far? I mean, those structures are huge, I know, and they all sunk that far.
Speaker 3:
All of them. Well, I was thinking more of, over time, the dust and stuff gathers on them and so on and so forth, and over, uh, you know so many years, um that yeah, they sink, and stuff too.
Speaker 2:
But yeah, they've. They've found a whole bunch of different ones and there's actually one, I think, that they found up. Ehh, what was it? It's somewhere here in the United States. It's over on the East Coast, I think, but it's up north. They found something similar, really. Yeah, it's not nearly as big. Like I said before, stonehenge seems to be one of the biggest.
Speaker 3:
Uh, in addition, advances in DNA analysis have allowed researchers to study the genetic makeup of the people who lived in the area during the time of Stonehenge. This research has revealed that the builders of Stonehenge were likely descended from the same group of people who built the earlier monument of Ave Burry, located just a few miles away. This and several other stone circles in the British Isles suggest that there was a high degree of continuity and cultural transmission between different prehistoric communities in the area.
Speaker 2:
Well. In conclusion, stonehenge is a monument that continues to fascinate and intrigue people from all over the world. Its sheer size and complexity, combined with its enigmatic purpose, makes it one of the most mysterious and awe-inspiring ancient sites in the world. While we may never fully understand the meaning and significance of Stonehenge, ongoing research and investigation continue to shed new light on this monument and its place in prehistoric Britain.
Speaker 3:
We hope that you have enjoyed learning more about this iconic monument and its rich, mysterious history. Join us next time as we explore another fascinating topic from around the world.
Speaker 1:
Thanks for listening to Smarticus Tells History. If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to rate and review, and make sure to subscribe and be sure to follow the show at facebookcom slash Smarticus Tells History or just click the link in the show description. Thanks again for listening. See you next time.