Tovinhenge

A Little Stonehenge in Laurens

Images

All images lead to larger versions.

From home	Looking southwest	The East-West equinox axis
View from the road	Looking northwest	View up the hill

Thanks

Thanks to all the folks who helped with hands, ideas, or both:

Charlie Scheim, Bill Rohan, Justin Fermann, Charlie Winters, John Hyland, Bill Davis, Sam Partrick, Debbie, Chris Tilley, Ron Bishop, Mike Merilan, James Vacarel, John Schaumloffel, Circle Stone in Delhi, and the kind folks at Lowes in Oneonta.

Diagram and Sun Circle Science

The sun rises and sets further north or south, depending on the time of year. These changes arise, so to speak, from the tilt of the Earth’s axis with respect to that of the Earth’s plane of revolution about the sun. This diagram, modified from Judith Young’s Sunwheel website, shows how the path of the sun is marked with the Tovenhenge stones.

Construction

Before: It’s just a field with potential.

The very beginning: Bill and Charlie Scheim mark the summer solstice with fence stakes, later used to align the stones.

Kathy checks out the rocks, which have been delivered and are lying around, guarded by the dogs.

Troubadour, checking the East-West stake alignment near sundown.

Sam Partick, Debbie, and Chris Tilley help dig holes and stand up stones.

Holes are dug using the backhoe and shovels, just as the ancients did before us.

Bill Rohan shows the backhoe who’s boss.

The stones are placed in holes and held up using a stand while the cement sets.

Bill Rohan and Justin Fermann, mixing one of about a hundred bags of cement.

John Hyland with the ManSaw, squaring off the bottom of the center stone.

Bill Davis and John, maneuvering a large stone with the tree-picker.

Bill Davis checks the scary big center stone.

Charlie Winter’s truck, keeping the center stone and the three sets of west-facing sundown stones company.

Construction, from the neighbor’s point of view.

The job is done, the team is proud. Kathy is proud too, but she’s taking the picture.

The team departs.

The SUNY Oneonta chemistry club, taking one of the first tours.