Cumulative General Science/Technology Quiz

[Ozbenno]

Weevil????

 

[Catharsis]

Weevil it is! You're up.

 

[brennan]

That's a lot of weevils...

 

[Ozbenno]

Archaelogists have been able to determine what month the construction of Silbury Hill (a neolithic mound in Wiltshire, England) was begun but not what year, why is this?

 

[peter grimes]

I'd imagine they were able to find some pollen grains or other seasonal plant markers tied to a specific plant flowering in a particular month.

But I'm guessing

 

[Ozbenno]

No cigar for you...

 

[Perfection]

Some geometric configuration with an equinox or solstice?

 

[Ozbenno]

I'm a frayed knot...

BTW, the month was August.

 

[Perfection]

Somr other astronomical configuration (stars, etc.)

 

[Mise]

Their measurements were precise but not very accurate?

EDIT: A more serious guess:
- Would the area have been covered with nettles and thorns and other nasties in any month other than August?
- Was it made from harvest-related crops? E.g. it could have started as a small land-fill site for their food waste (or even a granary-type thing!) and over the years been built up into a big mound?

EDIT2: We need Dr House!

 

[nonconformist]

Always read the thread before answering ><


My guess is they found the August copy of playboy in the mound.

 

[Ozbenno]

None of these are correct.

 

[nonconformist]

You don't say??!

 

[Perfection]

Cuz that's when they said they did it?

 

[Ozbenno]

Well peter grimes and Mise were vaguely on the right track but its nothing to do with plants.

 

[Perfection]

River flooding/drought?

 

[peter grimes]

Migratory bird remains?

Again - I'm totally stabbing in the dark

 

[Ozbenno]

Migratory bird remains?

Wrong but the closest so far

A clue..

In 1968-70 Professor Richard J. C. Atkinson undertook work at Silbury which was shown on BBC television. This excavation revealed most of the environmental evidence known about the site including ?????? which indicate that Silbury was begun in an August.

 

[Genocidicbunny]

Certain insects that are only around during that time? Only thing I can think of thats not birds nor plants.

 

[Ozbenno]

Certain insects that are only around during that time?

I'm happy to give you this.

The ???? was actually 'the remains of winged ants'