Julian Cope presents Head Heritage

We all fuck up or behave like twats, without exception. Some, unfortunately, can't see or conceed this.

I have been privileged to have been recently entrusted with the locations of sites, including circles, stones, rows and rock art, many unrecorded, many perhaps still to come, by a senior member of the ramblers in my area as he knows he will be given credit by myself as the original finder in all instances. He has, I think, realised that with the march of time he may not be going into difficult terrain again, and, having seen my previous treatment and photographic recording of one of his finds on TMA, where all discoveries will be made public first, decided that I'm competent enough to go out into the wilds and do what has to be done - my health willing. I hope to get as many sites as possible inspected. My worry is that an undesirable element may venture out as a result of places becoming public and d***ct, dot dot dot. The first site he's tipped me off about has already made my jaw drop, now I've fieldwalked it: a probably Bronze Age fortified settlement 400 yd across in a city wood where many people walk their dogs every day, oblivious of what they're treading on or those changes of level and lumps of rock sticking out of the leafmould. It's a whopper, and, I must admit, that it's been under peoples noses in plain sight is an amusing couterpoint to apprehension. It's not just his sites I'm twitchy about - one of mine, yet to be inspected, is, I think, possibly rather good too. What's folks here's opinion about sites such as I've just mentioned or cairn cemeteries..the non megalithic type of site: publish and be damned, OK some shit may happen, always a risk, or, alternatively, keep forever zipped: tip off the official bodies and leave it at that? I'd love in an ideal world to broadcast that city site after inspection, but as it stands I haven't dare even rake away the leaves and debris so I can take better pictures : (

I shall attempt lucidity and must make no bones now about my lack of textbook reading....

...I've only been seriously fieldwalking...

...Iron age dog kennels d o exist.

Really recommend you do do a bit of reading at least, Spencer.

From my late 20s through to about 35, I read and read. I tried to cover lots of stuff, it was heavy going and it required some dedication. Its not about being a know it all, it's about getting a reasonably solid grounding in the subject.
I still read, just at a slower pace these days.

For example, you say you've been 'seriously fieldwalking' but, i'm not sure that you know what fieldwalking is.

http://www.cafg.net/docs/articles/what_is_fieldwalking.pdf

re the iron age dog kennels, did you find a pile of IA dog shit perhaps?

Enthusiasm is great of course. But do try to gain at least a little bit of understanding. You might even enjoy it!

Fieldwalking is one of the most tedious and boring archaeological activities .
Walking about in fields with or without purpose is entirely different .