# Ancient Canals in Britain?!



## _harris (Nov 5, 2022)

The Wansdyke is an ancient earthwork, one of many such Dykes in England and Wales. Much like Stonehenge and generally accepted "Iron Age" signs of civilization, there is no absolute consensus about these features. Some say defensive, some say road, some don't know.

I've mostly been focussing on water levels and waterways and accessability to different areas at different times, and it makes sense that the water table was a lot higher in england maybe 1000 years ago or more... or 2000 in book history.

Looking into who was where and when, we have the VISIGOTHS;

Visi = Vesi = WATER
Goth = Gott/Get = God/Goat [interesting double meaning!]

Is it telling us that these were people who spent a lot of time around water, and worshipped water deities? Or were they seen as gods due to mastery of sailing/waterways/canals?
~ I quite prefer the "water-goats" translation, ie- they could get anywhere using water.. reminds me of canal systems and locks!

I had previously considered the possibility of the Wansdyke being a canal, but no previous theories could explain certain aspects.

So I tapped "Wansdyke canal" into the search..  Lo! And behold, there's been a relatively recent publication on the matter!

Gigantic Prehistoric Canals (Dykes) - Wansdyke - Prehistoric Britain

I live right near Maes Knoll hill which sits at the West end of the dyke.. The place where it meets the knoll is certainly very dock-like, will try to find a photograph!


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## davtash (Nov 6, 2022)

_harris said:


> The Wansdyke is an ancient earthwork, one of many such Dykes in England and Wales. Much like Stonehenge and generally accepted "Iron Age" signs of civilization, there is no absolute consensus about these features. Some say defensive, some say road, some don't know.
> 
> I've mostly been focussing on water levels and waterways and accessability to different areas at different times, and it makes sense that the water table was a lot higher in england maybe 1000 years ago or more... or 2000 in book history.
> 
> ...


Being brought up in Yorkshire and sailing on many a narrow boat I had to ask who or what built all the canals. Where did the stones come from? And likewise the miles of dry stone walls.


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## Feck (Nov 6, 2022)

seeing the cursus... as symbolic rivers

personally I think the British neolithic landscape was an attempt by people trying to build a copy of the paradise they just got booted out of by a catastrophe... actually a new Jerusalem

peace


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## _harris (Nov 7, 2022)

Feck said:


> seeing the cursus... as symbolic rivers
> 
> personally I think the British neolithic landscape was an attempt by people trying to build a copy of the paradise they just got booted out of by a catastrophe... actually a new Jerusalem
> 
> peace


perhaps the cursus were artificial lagoons?!

If the ancient folks has mastered water, they would use canals to join rivers, we then have an _extremely_ well connected civilization, all across North-west europe...

I think it's worth looking into these ancient Dykes, probably the next thing I'll do! 

I'm hoping to see some patterns in altitude and setting.. I've never had such a clear image of pre-history as I do right now!


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## Feck (Nov 7, 2022)

_harris said:


> perhaps the cursus were artificial lagoons?!
> 
> If the ancient folks has mastered water, they would use canals to join rivers, we then have an _extremely_ well connected civilization, all across North-west europe...
> 
> ...


there are 2 kinds of cursus. one is a long river like thing [dorset cursus] and the other rectangular pen like at Stonehenge that has the berm at one end and a roundel at the other. these are 2 distinct things you will find in "paradise". and of course a Stonehenge type thing with processional way and a huge multi-ringed structure [like the new thing at durrington walls] and silbury hill with its surrounding lake. its all a copy.
cursus pics
believe it or not the originals exist [the flood drained away]. you can go there now. no issues at all if you are in the European Union.


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## _harris (Nov 7, 2022)

@Feck I live near in Somerset, near Wiltshire + Dorset! Have been to some of those angular ones and they seem to be a safe place for livestock herds, hence the lack of archaeology within the perimeters.

I was thinking of the smaller features with rounded ends, but they don't seem to be built on any sort of level!


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## Feck (Nov 8, 2022)

_harris said:


> @Feck I live near in Somerset, near Wiltshire + Dorset! Have been to some of those angular ones and they seem to be a safe place for livestock herds, hence the lack of archaeology within the perimeters.
> 
> I was thinking of the smaller features with rounded ends, but they don't seem to be built on any sort of level!


you are right about the animal pen and it is a very famous cow pen they are copying indeed. and the Dorset cursus would be copying a famous "boundary ditch".
I guess the easiest pictures would be from this Wordpress page. I do not think I can legally copy them in here?

the area in those pictures is here. note that the world is very prejudiced against anything archaeologically important from this part of the world. it is quite strange. you might find yourself feeling the same way. hope not.

peace

ps boundary ditch...
Aryavarta Erra and Ishum I 177 Anunna/
The gods of hell will rise up and smite down living creatures.
Enlil said to them: 'O Anunna-gods, great gods, What should we do next? What should we make now?' The great gods who were present, And the Anunna-gods, ordainers of destines, Both replied to Enlil, 'In Uzumua, the linking place of heaven with earth, 'Let us slaughter Alla-gods, 'Let us create humankind from their blood. 'Their labor shall be labor for the gods; '*To maintain the boundary ditch for all time*, 'To set the pickaxe and workbasket in their hands, 'To make the great dwelling of the gods, 'Worthy to be their sublime sanctuary, 'To add field to field! 'To maintain the boundary ditch for all time, 'To regulate irrigation works for you(?) 'To water the four abodes, 'To make the plant life flourish, '[ ] rainfall [ ].' 'For maintaining the boundary ditch, 'For heaping up plies of harvested grain 'For making the fields of the Anunna-gods yield in plenty, 'For making great the prosperity of the land, 'For celebrating the gods' festivals as they should, 'For libating cool water, 'For making the great house of the gods worthy To be their sublime dwelling. 'You shall call their names Ullegarra and Annagarra.'


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## usselo (Nov 8, 2022)

_harris said:


> Is it telling us that these were people who spent a lot of time around water, and worshipped water deities? Or were they seen as gods due to mastery of sailing/waterways/canals?
> ~ I quite prefer the "water-goats" translation, ie- they could get anywhere using water.. reminds me of canal systems and locks!


Robert John Langdon's theory may explain this odd footnote in Rev George Oliver's _History of the Holy Trinity Guild At Sleaford_, p10, footnote 16, talking about Lincoln Heath:



> On the heath are many vestiges of vast trenches, some in pairs
> running in parallel lines within half a mile of each other ; several of
> which are obliterated by the plough ; others remain wide and deep and
> protected by high banks ; but the old warreners remember them all much
> ...



These vast trenches seem to have disappeared today. Perhaps Oliver meant the 'Ancaster Gap' dry valley and the 'Bytham Gap' infilled valley (marked in blue below, with Ancaster Gap just above):


_Source: __Lincolnshire - Gaps and More Gaps_​But I think he was talking about more than two 'vast trenches'.


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