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Velkommen! / Welcome!
Jeg er geoarkeolog, bor på Tromøya ved Arendal og jobber med undersøkelser og bevaring av steinbygninger, gamle steinbrudd og bergkunst. En stor interesse er tradisjonell kalkbrenning. På denne nettsiden skriver jeg artikler om geologi og kulturminnevern både på norsk og engelsk. Jeg bruker ikke KI. For gleden ved gammel stein! Per Storemyr
I work with the geoarchaeology of old stone: monuments, quarries, rock art. And I try to figure out about their weathering, and conservation using traditional crafts. I also burn lime the traditional way. On this website I publish articles on geology and heritage. I don't use AI. For the joy of old stone! Per Storemyr
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Recent posts
- 15 tonn marmor fra Dalen gruver til kalkbrenning sammen med Fortidsminneforeningen i Tvedestrand
- The Côa Late Palaeolithic rock art in Portugal. A brief comparison with petroglyphs of similar age in Egypt
- Observations of tafoni at Costa Vicentina (Portugal)
- Tafoni in Tertiary shale at 2700 m in the Swiss Alps (Brigels, Graubünden)
- Kalkbrenning i Guédelon. Kalk til bygging av ny middelalderborg i Frankrike
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SOAPSTONE! Book on its archaeology and history!
Book: The Stones of Nidaros Cathedral
Book: QuarryScapes
Category Archives: Archaeology
Quarrying of soft stone through history
Quarrying of soft stone has been done with remarkably uniform methods over the last 5000 years. From Ancient Egypt to modern Norway – soft stone, like sandstone, limestone and soapstone, was nearly always taken from bedrock using chisels or picks. … Continue reading
The Palaeolithic rock art in Wadi Abu Subeira, Egypt: Landscape, archaeology, threats and conservation
Since the publication of the threats to the Palaeolithic rock art in Wadi Abu Subeira three weeks ago, there has been much response through e-mail and social media, and the case has been covered by many online magazines and blogs. People in Egypt and elsewhere are concerned, and I wish to thank you all for your interest and for bringing the case along to friends and colleagues, as well as to administrators and politicians. There now seems to be a need for an “unbiased”, comprehensive overview of what is actually known about the landscape, the archaeology, the rock art, the threats, current conservation efforts and options for the future. The overview below is based on published literature, and information that otherwise belongs to the public sphere. It is written in close cooperation with Adel Kelany, and we have benefitted from input by Dirk Huyge. Continue reading
Posted in Ancient Egypt, Archaeology, Heritage destruction, Rock art
Tagged Ancient Egypt, Aswan, conservation, Cultural heritage, Qurta, rock art, Wadi Abu Subeira
6 Comments
Wadi Abu Subeira, Egypt: Palaeolithic rock art on the verge of destruction
In 2007 one of the most important recent archaeological discoveries in Egypt were made in Wadi (Chor) Abu Subeira near Aswan: A team led by Adel Kelany of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) found a stunning assemblage of petroglyphs dating to the Late Palaeolithic era (c. 15-20.000 years ago). But now this truly unique testimony of mankind’s early art is on the verge of destruction due to modern mining. Continue reading
Posted in Ancient Egypt, Archaeology, Heritage destruction, Rock art
Tagged Ancient Egypt, Aswan, Qurta, rock art, Wadi Abu Subeira
8 Comments
For those who didn’t really get the Levallois technique
I didn’t make this fine animation, it is the work of José-Manuel Benito Álvarez, check at Wikimedia Commons and at Wikipedia. But I did take the photo, before, I have to admit, I really got it. You see, I’m … Continue reading
Posted in Ancient Egypt, Archaeology
Tagged Ancient Egypt, levallois, silicified sandstone
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Mickey Mouse in rock art at Gharb Aswan (Egypt): Was he fond of sound?
Though Prehistoric rock art certainly had a meaning, its implications usually remain mysterious for us moderns. But sometimes the rock art conveys funny things to speculate on. What about big-eared Mickey Mouse at Gharb Aswan in Upper Egypt: Was he … Continue reading
Posted in Ancient Egypt, Archaeology, Rock art
Tagged Ancient Egypt, Gharb Aswan, rock art
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Nidarosdomens steinbrudd: Byggingen av Kristkirken (1070-1100)
Denne historien er en liten del av min bok “Nidarosdomens grunnfjell” (2015). Les mer om boken her. Tenk deg at du for nesten 1000 år siden er engelsk byggmester og har fått i oppdrag å reise en av Norges aller … Continue reading
Posted in Archaeology, Norway, Old quarries
Tagged Nidaros Cathedral, Nidarosdomen, Nidarosdomen artikkelserie, Norway, quarry, Trondheim
6 Comments
With pickaxe into modern times II: Quarrying of Marés at the Balearic Islands
As a follow-up of my two recent articles on traditional quarrying of sandstone and soapstone, here is an exciting film about manual extraction of Piedra de Marés at Menorca. Marés is a soft, yellowish biocalcarenite (calcareous sandstone), widely used since … Continue reading
With pickaxe into modern times: Quarrying of Bernese sandstone (CH)
Even until the 1950s the quarrymen in Berne extracted their sandstone using pickaxes. They carved out trenches around the blocks to be removed, not unlike the way their colleagues did 5.000 years ago in ancient Egypt. Why so? Join me … Continue reading
Posted in Ancient Egypt, Archaeology, Old quarries, Switzerland
Tagged Bern, Berner Sandstein, Gurten, Krauchthal, Ostermundigen, quarry, sandstone, Switzerland
11 Comments
“Steinriket Bømlo”: Nettsted om steinbrytning i 10.000 år
Her forleden kom jeg over et særs interessant nettsted, nemlig “Steinriket Bømlo” som forteller historien om utnyttelsen av stein på denne ytterst steinrike øya – ytterst i havgapet på Vestlandet. Naturligvis står to av Norges flotteste steinalderlokaliteter i forgrunnen: Øksebruddet på Hespriholmen og pilespissbruddet på Siggjo. Continue reading
International conference on millstone in Bergen – and the Hyllestad quarry landscape
Last week the Norwegian “millstone community” invited to an international conference in Bergen – “Seen through a millstone: Geology and archaeology of quarries and mills”. It included an excursion to the Hyllestad quarries where the participants got to know a … Continue reading
Posted in Archaeology, Norway, Old quarries
Tagged conservation, Cultural heritage, grinding stone, Kvernsteinsparken, millstone, Norway, quarry
4 Comments
