Park time capsule will be reburied
WORK to uproot Glasgow’s stone circle has uncovered a time capsule.
But the container will be buried again, unopened, when the Sighthill Megalith is recreated at a new location.
The 17 standing stones that make up the monument are being moved as part of a £250 million regeneration project, which takes in Sighthill Park and the surrounding area.
The Megalith, made of whinstone, is Britain’s first stone circle built according to the alignment of the stars in several thousand years.
It was established in 1979 by the Glasgow Parks Department Astronomy Project and guided by Scottish author Duncan Lunan.
Work to pull the stones from the ground and lie them in a temporary home before they are placed in a new home in the park started last Thursday.
The time capsule, which is packed full of treasures wrapped in foil and masking tape, was embedded in the concrete underneath the centre stone.
It was discovered by contractors working to break up the concrete.
The stone circle is dedicated to four researchers with connections to Glasgow who worked in the field of ancient astronomy.
The four are the late professor Alexander Thom, doctor Archie Thom, professor Archie Roy and doctor Euan MacKie.
They filled the time capsule with things that were precious to them – books, pictures and articles.
It was intended to lie undiscovered for more than 37 years – so it will be again fixed in the ground along with the stones in around a year.
The work at Sighthill park is part of a five-year project, due to finish in 2019, which also involves building 800 homes and a new footbridge across the M8 connecting to the city centre.
Contractors are working to combat the “rotten egg” stench that plagues the area – caused by toxic chemical waste, called galligu, from an old soda works.