In 2022, British archaeologist Timothy Darvill came out with the sensational thesis that Stonehenge was a precise annual calendar, from which the exact dates for the days could be read. The statements were published in the scientific journal Antiquity. Now archaeoastronomers Giulio Magli of the University Politecnico di Milano and Juan Antonio Belmonte of the Universidad de La Laguna on Tenerife have argued that the stone stelae are far too imprecisely arranged for this, also in Antiquity. They recommend restraint when it comes to interpretations of those unique remains from the Stone Age cultural landscape.

The Italian Minister of Economy and Made in Italy (MIMIT) met in Rome with representatives of Confindustria Marmomacchine to discuss “the contribution that the stone industry can make to the new strategic imprint given promotion of the Made in Italy abroad,“ according to the association’s webpage.

Amsterdam Central Train Station has a new underground bike parking planned by the architects of VenhoevenCS, Van Hattum en Blankevoort, and DS Landscape. The entrances are clad with the same dark gray natural stone used for the boulevard, providing seamless access.

Natural stone flooring, green spaces in the entrance areas, and an interactive water feature will be part of the refurbished Sony Center at the Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, Oxford Properties announced. A new name is included in the €200 million modernization.

The British Royal Horticultural Society (RSH) has a webpage on how stones can go together with gardens. Presented are Rock Gardens, Coastal Gardens, Gravel Gardens, and Drystone walls.

By observing the night sky, medieval monks unwittingly recorded some of history’s largest volcanic eruptions that played a role in the Little Ice Age, researchers from Geneva University have found.
 

Video of the month: these days we received the news that the “James Bond“ novels by British author Ian Fleming are to be released in a new edition for the 70th anniversary of the book series. There shall be updated what is nowadays considered to be politically incorrect. As a reminder of carefree times, we show the opening scene from “Quantum of Solace“, which takes us to the marble quarries of Carrara, and link to the Thai limestone island of Khao Phing Kan, which plays a role in “The Man with the Golden Gun“.

(14.04.2023, USA: 04.14.2023)