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The Modern Antiquarian Forum » Silbury Hill » Silbury updates |
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nigelswift 8112 posts |
Jun 14, 2007, 07:34
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Whereas at Stonehenge, the effort expended on providing information about visiting to members of the spiritual community and others is stunning. Including 16 meetings of the "Round Table" in the past 2 years. It has just been confirmed, incidentally, that the Stonehenge Solstice Portaloos WILL have hand sanitizing facilities. Would it be too much to ask for the hand sanitizing information officer to be re-deployed up to Silbury to answer the questions that I've sent that I've not heard owt about? ;)
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Littlestone 5386 posts |
Jun 14, 2007, 13:14
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Would it be too much to ask for the hand sanitizing information officer to be re-deployed up to Silbury to answer the questions that I've sent that I've not heard owt about? Yes. Hand sanitizing is a far more important issue than friggin' great holes in Silbury ;-) and of no consequence at all re: English Heritage's pathetic response to questions asked about its 'conservation project' there. Conservation experts? Pah! If English Heritage were experts they would have published far more detailed updates by now on the condition of the Atkinson/BBC tunnel and finds (both of the archaeological and the tatty-tyre kind) within it. Instead, what we are getting is a drip, drip, drip of minor details and the withholding from the public of information that would show English Heritage, its predecessor and its associates as the incompetent amateurs that they are. As for English Heritage's Ask the Experts* link? Not a single question nor a single answer to be found there (but plenty of answers have been sent privately by English Heritage to individual members of the public). Now why is that? Are English Heritage afraid of a public debate? * http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.17513
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Squid Tempest 8763 posts |
Jun 14, 2007, 13:23
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From that link: "We will post some of the questions here, together with answers from the archaeologists and engineers working on the project. " Perhaps they just haven't got any archaeologists or engineers working on the project. That would explain it.
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Pete G 3506 posts |
Jun 14, 2007, 13:32
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yes they have squid but they are all working flat out to stay on schedule. With Solstice looming and fears of a mass invasion Avebury is going into lockdown. This includes securing everything around Silbury. Not much has happened this week at Silbury as the ditch has been emptied and apart from a small find of a piece of antler there is very little to report. Today the removal of the road infill continues and will last for a few weeks yet. Taking time out to answer the chuckle brothers' bickering questions isn't going to be high on their list of things to do at the moment. If anyone bothers to visit the site and talk to the people in the visitors centre they will find that most questions can be answered there. Squabbling over minor details isn't helping anyone, I'm even loath to post anymore photos on my website at the moment... PeteG
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Squid Tempest 8763 posts |
Jun 14, 2007, 13:57
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Fair enough. I shouldn't jump to conclusions.
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goffik 3926 posts |
Jun 14, 2007, 16:16
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I think it's a fair conclusion to jump to, to be honest! What are we supposed to think? OK, the job in hand is more important, but with no information forthcoming, what are we supposed to think? I had 2 prompt replies to my questions a couple of weeks back, which are as follows: Q: "I read somewhere that a load of old tyres have been removed from the hill, and that whoever excavated or sealed it last would have been fully aware of them being there - is this true?" A: "There were certainly tyres and other modern bits and pieces within the backfill of the cut made into the Hill to create the 1968 entrance ie outside of the door. In contrast there have been no objects of any sort found in the aggregate imported onto site to fill the tunnel itself." Q: "Thanks for getting back to me so promptly... [see? I am grateful!] Just to satisfy my own curiosity - were there any photos taken of said tyres and other modern bits and pieces, and are they available for public consumption (ie me!)?" A: "We don't have any photos of the tyres but here is a picture of some of the other finds. The two tobacco tins were found just inside the tunnel doorway and the other tin was in the backfill in front of the door." I only asked this, as I said, for my own curiosity, and thought it a fairly minor thing in the grand scheme of things, but it got me to thinking... Shouldn't somebody from Skanska/NT/EH be recording all this? It's a hugely important undertaking, and to not be taking photograpihic records at every turn is surely not a good thing! Even if it's just for historic records! This is (allegedly, but I'm sure I'm not alone in my scepticism) the last time anyone's going to open, enter, fill and close Silbury Hill. What will history say? "We opened the door, found some baccy tins and a bit of antler, filled it then shut it!"? Hardly worth the astronomical cost, IMO... So... Those of use who live too far out for regular visits to the hill rely on this resource for our updates. If they don't supply them, we can only assume what is or isn't happening. G x PS - Then... Oh, yes, THEN... "they" (the "owners" of Silbury Hill) are "allowing" people (as mentioned previously in this thread) to climb up "their" hill to play some musical instruments! But don't let's lose that little one in this thread, eh? ;o)
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slumpystones 769 posts |
Jun 14, 2007, 17:34
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goffik wrote: I think it's a fair conclusion to jump to, to be honest! Received exactly one week ago... "Dear Mr Jesus-I-Wish-You-Would-Stop-Bugging-Me Thank-you for your interest in the project. It is unfortunate that we don't have any film clips available yet but now that the project has been going for a while we can see what the frequently asked questions are and will put these, and our answers, on-line for next week. The updates are simply brief illustrated summaries of the previous weeks work. This is a project which stimulates many debates about differing conservation-related issues, with cogent arguments for many positions. Our view on the 'time capsule' is that this does no harm to the Hill and is a means for schoolchilden and their families to engage with and become more aware of their local historic environment. best regards Silbury project archaeological team" One week on and no Q&A, just lots of Q. And in case anyone thought Mr Angry was going to let it lie, my reply to the time capsule evasive replies: "I find your reply to the question of the time capsule stunning to say the least. To say it does no harm betrays a total lack of foresight. Its very existence will prove to be a problem many years into the future, something English Heritage should be aware of. The fact that EH are NOT aware of the potential problems involved is scary. Leaving a Time Capsule within the hill is hardly going to cause problems with future archaeology, as the contents will be recorded and publicly available. Therefore, with foresight, no archaeologist will want to dig it up. However, how about the local school which will take part, you really expect them not to take a regular interest? Let's see, there's 2017, 2027, 2037...need I go on? Every time an anniversary comes round, someone will suggest digging up their precious little capsule. But why bother, when the contents are recorded and well-known? Pointless is about the best word I could come up with - the whole exercise smacks of self-satisfying actions by a few men-in-suits with little real planning or consideration for the future of the hill. The main question should be "Who do EH think will be digging this up in the future, and why?" This is a terrible decision in many ways. Lack of consultation with non-residents, lack of planning, lack of understanding, but probably most important and worst of all, an action with motives other than good. Satisfying a handful of children does not wash against the storm of protest from several thousand objectors. I think you're going to find an awful lot of people turning up to voice their protest on the day. I hope you are prepared to be made to look extremely foolish." It also occurred to me also that over 95% of the children contributing to the capsule won't even be living in the area in 10, 20, 30 years time anyway!
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Pete G 3506 posts |
Jun 14, 2007, 17:48
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you do know that Avebury school is closing forever in July? Has is occured that the time spent answering all these questions may slow down the online reporting? We are not even 1/3 of the way into the dig and the best bits will be when the center is reached. 100's of photos of rusty pillars and arches is not really necessary is it? Meanwhile there is this to contend with http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/headlines/display.var.1471847.0.village_braced_for_the_invasion.php not to mention the bizzare behaviour of a local druid who used bolt cutters to gain entry into the southern quadrant at Avebury that the NT had temporarily closed for erosion repair so that he could perform a handfasting. This sort of thing causes a lot of local tension...
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Rhiannon 5291 posts |
Jun 14, 2007, 18:13
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Oh come on Pete, there must be enough people employed by EH to answer a few questions, make the tea etc while some others get on with digging. And I#m not sure I appreciate the idea that the 'interesting' bit is only at the centre. King Zil you mean. Yeah, bugger all the clues that might be in the earth on the way. Oh or are you being sarcastic. I can't tell this time. The school issue and bolt-cutter=weilding pagans might be important but don't take up eH time.
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slumpystones 769 posts |
Jun 14, 2007, 18:23
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Sad that the school is closing, but I still can't see the justification for the dreaded TC, no matter what the circumstances. I realise the school will not be around to suggest opening the thing, making it even more of a pointless exercise. And the fact that EH have stubbornly refused, or been unable to reply, reinforces the suggestion that they should not be in charge, as they are quite obviously not up to the job. Avebury WILL grind to a halt next week, that much is obvious. The lanes will choke with traffic, most of which will stay where it ends up. Okay, this is easy for me to say, but when the residents of Hounslow whinge about the plane noise, the answer is always "Well you knew it would be noisy when you moved there", and while you do have my sympathy, people have been arriving there at midsummer for years, it's not like it's a big surprise!
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