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philolithia.bsky.social
Philolithia@bsky.social
@philolithia.bsky.social
4.5K followers 2.5K following 520 posts
Prehistoric landscapes, skyscapes, cosmology, folklore & nature. Meirionnydd #StandingStones PhD researcher Bournemouth Uni. Cymraes dw i. (She/her).
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philolithia.bsky.social
The morning after the storm…
Blue sky creeps in, separating lower, dense layers of fleecy-grey clouds that hug the undulating dark hills below, from finer, white, wispier skeins above. Woolly white sheep graze a lime green field in morning sunshine in the foreground. Beyond the bare distant hedgerow that borders their field, light skips off the flooded water meadows. The lower slopes of the distant hills also sing out in lime green fields - vibrant in the sun, despite the distance. The storm and wind that has wined and howled for two solid days and nights has gone! The broken grey remnant storm clouds scud across a blue sky above distant dark blue and bracken-brown hills. The valley fields are lime green and the pewter river ripples between reedy banks down the valley. Beyond the khaki willow trees veiling the river margin an old stone bridge with three arches lollops across a black, rippling river. The sun, bright, even though behind a white cloud in a blue sky, pours its light over the distant lime-green hills and onto the river, which bounces it back in return. A different angle of the stone bridge, showing its path over the black river with patches of reflected sunlight bounced back to the blue sky.
November 15, 2025 at 4:46 PM
philolithia.bsky.social
Remembering the sunshine on the hill with a motley collection of standing and fallen stones for #StandingStoneSunday #Meirionnydd
A dark moss- and lichen-covered squat troll of a stone casts a short black shadow over the scrubby moorland grass in the noon sunshine on a cloudless day. It appears as if it is tipping its head quizzically, whilst behind it lies a long, pale grey massive toppled stone. There must be some connection here between these very different neighbours that has remained in place for perhaps thousands of years, but the narrative lost… perhaps yet to be rediscovered? To the left, the bleak hillside slopes away upwards to a bright blue sky in the distance and, to the right, it drops away to reveal a bright blue sea. A place of many memories.
November 9, 2025 at 9:24 AM
philolithia.bsky.social
The enormous, lichen-encrusted standing stone of Maes Coch high on northern, overgrown slopes of Cadair Idris last summer, with helpful friend for scale #StandingStoneSunday
Although this stone is massive, you don’t spot it in the landscape until it is right there looming up in front of you: a huge, grey, irregular wedge of a stone, thickly encrusted with lichen, so that it is camouflaged in its overgrown surroundings of waist high bracken and old and dead, lichen-covered scrubby trees (which it matches in height). The photo shows all of this, as well as my anonymous friend with excited happy face emoji. She is dressed in purple and black and holds a 2m high red and white survey rod over which the stone towers by nearly the same height (2m), indicating the stone is just under 4m tall!
November 2, 2025 at 8:41 AM
philolithia.bsky.social
#MosaicMonday at Brading Roman Villa: a half-naked man with stick, globe & sundial is identified, as 3rd C bc astronomer & poet, Aratus. The damaged larger part of the Brading mosaic floor above Aratus might represent his famous poem the Phaenomena telling Bronze Age stories of constellations (wow!)
Screenshot of a tweet from Brading Roman Villa of 2nd May 2020 saying: “A Romano-British villa on an Island in the Solent, we like to think we have some of the most amazing and unique mosaics in Britain! When you can, you must come and visit us and prove us right. #MuseumsUnlocked @profdanhicks @VisitIOW gf.me/u/xx9s7i.” There are 2 mosaic images: one of Aratus (as described previously) and another would have been of the famous chickenman mosaic, but unfortunately, he is omitted from this screenshot.
October 20, 2025 at 6:47 PM
philolithia.bsky.social
Ring of Brodgar from a moody day in 2012 for a rainy #StandingStoneSunday today
Photo of a line of four equally-spaced monoliths of different shapes set on a raised brackish yellow/brown moorland grass foreground in silhouette against the curves of two almost identical distant hills below a white cloudy sky. One of the central stones occupies the centre of the photo which also corresponds to the gap between the two hills - it stands barely silhouetted against the sky. A small insignificant person stands to the left of the left-most stone which towers above him or her. The stones’ shape and arrangement and relation with the surrounding landscape hint of pattern…
October 19, 2025 at 9:18 AM
philolithia.bsky.social
Early autumn
Photo of zillions of bright red berries on silver hawthorn branches in front of a bright green field with large bales of golden hay. A white cloudy sky hovers above a dark green canopy of trees marking the distant field boundary.
October 16, 2025 at 6:55 AM
philolithia.bsky.social
Crazy clouds for tonight’s sunset over the bay
Photo of pink, orange and grey clouds with the remains of a vapour trail in dark purple and orange layering a bright blue sky and reflected in a calm puce sea with dark silhouetted foliage in the foreground; but, if you look at it upside down, there is a psychedelic tropical beach evening view with puffy pink white horses - crazy I know!
October 12, 2025 at 6:03 PM
philolithia.bsky.social
An important plant in Ireland’s history, with fab mythological associations too - see Skeffington, M. S., & Scott, N. (2022). The strawberry tree in Ireland. Archaeology Ireland, 36(2), 24–29. www.jstor.org/stable/27198...
Photo of text which says: we have evidence for a direct migration of a plant species from northern Iberia to south-west Ireland, consistent with ideas suggested by archaeologists for the movement of copper-mining and Beaker culture into Ireland. MYTHOLOGY Furthermore, references to this plant introduction appear to be included in the Fiannaíocht or Fenian cycle of legends. In the pursuit of Diarmaid and Grainne, Oisín and the Fianna arrive at Glenflesk. The River Flesk flows through Killarney and into Lough Leane near to Ross Island. There they encounter the Tuatha Dé Danann already ensconced around the lake. The Fianna abandon plans for a game of 'goal' and decide 'to go back'! Then it says: Agus as é lón tugadar leo as Tir threabhar-ghlain Tharrngaire i. cnó corcra agus ubhla caithne agus caora cumhra ('And the provisions they brought with them from fair-cultivated Tír Thairngire were crimson nuts and strawberry tree berries and sweet berries ...). In the Lebor Gabála Erenn, the Irish Book of Invasions, the Tuatha Dé Danann are listed as the fifth of six peoples to invade Ireland.
October 1, 2025 at 6:46 AM
philolithia.bsky.social
…and another photo of this stone with the rest of the stone row (towards sunset this evening) #StandingStoneSunday
Photo of a yellow sun setting towards a calm sea and bathing the foreground green field with two standing stones in a golden light. Between the two standing stones there is a fallen or recumbent stone. The sky above the sun is blue and a distant hill burns an autumnal russet colour. The standing stone that takes up nearly half of the picture is covered in patches of white lichen and has a sinuous line that marks the edge between a stone face that is flat and a face that isn’t.
September 28, 2025 at 10:07 PM
philolithia.bsky.social
… and here’s a 3D scan (just missed a tiny triangle on the top):
September 28, 2025 at 7:05 AM
philolithia.bsky.social
Tallest stone of the Waen Oer stone row looking out over Cardigan Bay to the distant mountains of the Lleyn Peninsula. An odd-shaped stone with odd cigar-shaped natural markings for #StandingStoneSunday
An angular but smooth tall standing stone, grey- but covered in patches of calico-and mustard-coloured lichens, stands amidst a clump of Juncus rushes in a pile of grey cobbles. The green grass beyond sweeps away to more yellowing rushes and then drops away to the calm blue of Cardigan Bay. Beyond, the distant purple mountains of the Lleyn Peninsula form a thin strip below a yellowing sky preparing for sunset.
September 28, 2025 at 6:54 AM
philolithia.bsky.social
Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island)
Photo of indigo blue sea with a thin dark blue strip of an undulating peninsula on the horizon, punctuated with an island full stop. Above, a swathe of dark blue grey mammatus clouds hangs in a sky of white.
September 26, 2025 at 7:19 PM
philolithia.bsky.social
Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island)
A small liquorice black island floats on a slightly rippled and darkening blue sea beneath the fire of a midget gem tangerine sky.
September 24, 2025 at 9:50 PM
philolithia.bsky.social
Clouds and blue sky reflected in a small tributary of the Afon Mawddach estuary at sunset and low tide this evening. Was pleased to see the reedy marsh hags in fine fettle.
A photo of a sodium yellow sun sinking behind a distant black wooded hill. The remains of the yellowy orange sunset blaze low in a bright blue sky swept by scudding salmon-coloured clouds. In the foreground, the remnant sun casts shadows across brown silt flats at low tide, and a meandering tributary forms a perfect mirrror appearing as a reflection of the turquoise bright sky and white clouds above - and not the muddy dregs of an emptied river. Small raised muddy island ‘marsh hags’ of grass and reeds protrude here and there from the silt flats, enticingly unreachable.
September 23, 2025 at 8:53 PM
philolithia.bsky.social
Smiling #equinox emoji of flotsam twigs and silt from the Afon Arthog iron bridge at low tide before sunset.
Photo of a rusty iron balustrade over a silty brown river divided in the middle by an almond-shaped bank of brown silt, strewn with brown organic river debris - twigs and seaweed. At the closest point of the almond, there is a circular area clear of all debris apart from two clumps forming circular eyes and a curving line of an upturned mouth. Beyond the river, brown reeds and green banks give way to a wooded hill with a few houses. Above this a craggy mountain, reaches up to a blue sky with only a couple of puffy clouds.
September 21, 2025 at 5:39 PM
philolithia.bsky.social
A gauzy mantle of mist shrouding the hills on this morning’s very early morning trip to Bangor #Eryri
Dark grey sky above a dense layer of meringue-white clouds lying just above undulating hills covered in a fine spiderweb mist. In the foreground, a field of lime green grass drops away to a small mixed woodland.
September 20, 2025 at 7:58 AM
philolithia.bsky.social
Up in the clouds on the mountain road from Wales to Somerset #roadtrip
Huge white puffy clouds hanging below deep blue sky and above the mountains of north Wales stretching into distant horizon. Taken from near the very top of ‘the mountain road’ (single track and winding for many miles after last minute decision not to take the motorway- v happy).
September 12, 2025 at 11:47 AM
philolithia.bsky.social
The thick time mountain clapper bridge forever crossing the black waters of the Afon Arthog stream and leading to the enigmatic ancient hut remains of Llys Bradwen #Meirionnydd
Photo of roughly hewn giant grey stones forming a bridge over a black stream dappled in sunlight. The surrounding grass is bright lime green and there is a jumble of more grey rocks on the opposite stream bank and a few small leafy summer trees. In the distance a large grey craggy mountain looms up to a grey cloudy sky - but the pervasive light by the bridge is bright and clear. The sort of place you always want to return to and will always be there.
September 8, 2025 at 10:40 AM
philolithia.bsky.social
The first autumn leaf?
September 4, 2025 at 4:32 AM
philolithia.bsky.social
High winds and dancing reeds #WildFlowerHour #Phragmites
August 31, 2025 at 10:28 PM
philolithia.bsky.social
Celtic rainforest looking lush this afternoon #Meirionnydd
Photo of a white water waterfall cascading into a black rocky pool surrounded by mosses and ferns in various shades of green. Above the water, tall spindly oaks with lime green leaves wave their arms at the sky.
August 30, 2025 at 10:05 PM
philolithia.bsky.social
Maes-y-Llan secretive and small for #StandingStoneSunday on private land accessed via a field with boisterous bullocks. Dramatic view to Craig Aderyn / Bird Rock.
A rounded grey standing stone stands around 1m high next to a red and white striped survey pole in a field of lush bright green grass. The floor of a flat glacial valley stretches away towards the horizon where a craggy blue mountain meets a bright blue sky with wispy white clouds.
August 24, 2025 at 7:03 AM
philolithia.bsky.social
Just around 25s of lapping seaweedy water at high tide on the Mawddach Estuary this evening.
August 19, 2025 at 6:30 PM
philolithia.bsky.social
A strange cinnabar-striped sun setting over the sea and into the distant mountains of Llŷn (just now)
Image as described in main text, but with a pastel pink sky and chalk-blue sea, bordered by dark silhouettes of variously-shaped foliage. A weird combination of colours.
August 15, 2025 at 7:52 PM
philolithia.bsky.social
An ancient oaks meshwork of branches, twigs, leaves, moss, sunlight and shadow.
A copse of twisted and gnarled ancient oak woodland on igneous grey outcropping rock; blue sky just peeking through the lattice emerald leaf canopy.
August 14, 2025 at 5:38 PM