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The Modern Antiquarian Forum » Silbury Hill » Silbury updates |
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fachtna 38 posts |
Jun 29, 2007, 21:25
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rammie wrote: As the implications of answering yes to that question are unknown, I'll just say nothing.
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nigelswift 8112 posts |
Jun 30, 2007, 05:31
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"Well, what do you know? Can't disagree with either of your points Nigel." Its the elephant in the room. Too much has been said here that has been or might have been taken as criticism of the do-ers - when none of us has reason to think they deserve it. Insofar as I might have contributed to that at any time I apologise sincerely and hope the message gets through. By contrast, all the criticism should actually be directed at the deciders, some of whose decisions have been, in my opinion, outrageous by any measure other than their own.
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rammie 31 posts |
Jun 30, 2007, 08:07
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nigelswift wrote: ....Its the elephant in the room... Second time I've heard that said in as many days. nigelswift wrote: ....Too much has been said here that has been or might have been taken as criticism of the do-ers - when none of us has reason to think they deserve it....and hope the message gets through.... I hope you've sent those thoughts to the 'usual' address?!
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slumpystones 769 posts |
Jun 30, 2007, 08:51
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nigelswift wrote: "Well, what do you know? Can't disagree with either of your points Nigel." Its the elephant in the room. Too much has been said here that has been or might have been taken as criticism of the do-ers - when none of us has reason to think they deserve it. Insofar as I might have contributed to that at any time I apologise sincerely and hope the message gets through. By contrast, all the criticism should actually be directed at the deciders, some of whose decisions have been, in my opinion, outrageous by any measure other than their own. Thanks, Nigel, I'd hate people to think I was directing any of my own anger at the poor wet, bedraggled, hardworking guys on the ground. I am a naturally cynical bastard when it comes to civil servants, people with pensions to protect and those who believe one thing but say something else because it's either party politically correct or could damage their careers. I have dealt with them, fought with them and occasionally beat them at their own game for most of my life in various ways, and they have absolutely no allegiance to anything, especially the temporary position they have found themselves in. They make decisions with little knowledge of the subject they are affecting, and if it all goes tits-up they are relocated in another department, pension intact, and a conscience as unaffected as ever. Therefore we have government department X run by people who last week were running department Y [check the latest cabinet reshuffle!!]. If that happened in my business, I'd have instructors opening the gate, security guards servicing bikes and mechanics answering the phone and me teaching people to ride.
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Littlestone 5386 posts |
Jun 30, 2007, 09:30
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Yer, a man after my own heart slummy, and while I agree with you and Nigel on what you've both said I'd also like to add the following - Although I have the greatest sympathy with those onsite at Silbury who are doing the hard graft and then (it seems) being required to do extra duties like the updates, I can't help asking why are they doing it? They can say, "No, it's not my job" and refuse to do anything other than what they're contracted to do. This doing more than we should is actually rotting away the fabric of our society; the same thing can be seen in the teaching and nursing professions. I have a teacher friend who doesn't get to bed until two or three every morning because she's preparing schoolwork for the coming day. When asked why she does it she replies that if she didn't the children would suffer. While her dedication to her profession is commendable the system she works for stinks, and your, 'people with pensions to protect and those who believe one thing but say something else because it's either party politically correct or could damage their careers continue to profit from other people's dedication and hard work. It really is time to say no, it's not my job.
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slumpystones 769 posts |
Jun 30, 2007, 09:46
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slummy? You've seen Swanley then?
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Littlestone 5386 posts |
Jun 30, 2007, 10:21
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eek! Sorry about that mate :-)
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slumpystones 769 posts |
Jun 30, 2007, 10:29
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I've been called worse!
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scousemaiden 160 posts |
Jun 30, 2007, 14:42
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Our visit to Silbury Hill yesterday was wonderful. The archaeologists were so friendly, showing children various artifacts recovered from inside the hill and gave us all the opportunity to sift through the chalk removed from inside mound 1 of Silbury. To our delight we discovered broken antlers; tools used by our ancestors so so long ago. To hold the antlers was such an amazing and exiting feeling knowing how old they were, and were they had come from. We were advised that after sifting the original chalk it was to be put back inside the hill along with new chalk from Westbury so that it is local to the area. We spent about 1 1/2 to 2 hours at Silbury before returning to the N.T. Education centre to discuss the Time Capsule. We were priveliged enough to handle the original material recovered from the 1849 capsule put inside the hill following the Mereweather excavations. The Time Capsule going inside this time is to be a glass cookie type jar, big enough to hold few things that the 19 children of Avebury school and the 20 or so year 5 children of Kennett Valley school feel to be appropriate ie photos, newspaper cuttings, poems , stories etc along with information regarding the work being carried out to restore the hill and fill in the tunnels and shaft in an attempt to preserve the hill. I can only admire what is going on to try and preserve Silbury Hill. As for the Time Capsule; why is it wrong, why all the objections? History is here and now as well time past. We can't prevent another excavation in 50 years , 100 years whatever, so why not give future generations an insight into our here and now. The capsule is glass which will not erode or damage Silbury. Myself and my two children lucky enough to be involved in all this feel proud to be part (be it a very small part) of the work being carried out by English Heritage. Scousemaiden xxx
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moss 2897 posts |
Jun 30, 2007, 16:48
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scousemaiden wrote: Our visit to Silbury Hill yesterday was wonderful. The archaeologists were so friendly, showing children various artifacts recovered from inside the hill and gave us all the opportunity to sift through the chalk removed from inside mound 1 of Silbury. To our delight we discovered broken antlers; tools used by our ancestors so so long ago. To hold the antlers was such an amazing and exiting feeling knowing how old they were, and were they had come from. We were advised that after sifting the original chalk it was to be put back inside the hill along with new chalk from Westbury so that it is local to the area. We spent about 1 1/2 to 2 hours at Silbury before returning to the N.T. Education centre to discuss the Time Capsule. We were priveliged enough to handle the original material recovered from the 1849 capsule put inside the hill following the Mereweather excavations. The Time Capsule going inside this time is to be a glass cookie type jar, big enough to hold few things that the 19 children of Avebury school and the 20 or so year 5 children of Kennett Valley school feel to be appropriate ie photos, newspaper cuttings, poems , stories etc along with information regarding the work being carried out to restore the hill and fill in the tunnels and shaft in an attempt to preserve the hill. I can only admire what is going on to try and preserve Silbury Hill. As for the Time Capsule; why is it wrong, why all the objections? History is here and now as well time past. We can't prevent another excavation in 50 years , 100 years whatever, so why not give future generations an insight into our here and now. The capsule is glass which will not erode or damage Silbury. Myself and my two children lucky enough to be involved in all this feel proud to be part (be it a very small part) of the work being carried out by English Heritage. Scousemaiden xxx Hi Scousemaiden, Glad that all the children enjoyed the visit to Silbury and got to know the 'feel' of history. Its a difficult line to tread to deny the children leaving their offerings in the Hill yet many people feel that this is wrong and for good reasons. Preserving what remains of the original Silbury monument IS important, unfortunately it has over time accumulated acts of vandalism by burrowing tunnels and a 19th century time capsule, but this does not make it valid today to leave a 'time capsule' from the village school - no matter how well meant, or that it won't really hurt. Fundamentally Silbury should be restored to the best state that a prehistoric monument can be, there are rules and regulations laid down by ICOMOS to world wide heritage sites, and Silbury is in such a site, take for instance this.. "Legislation should be based on the concept of the archaeological heritage as the heritage of all humanity and of groups of peoples, and not restricted to any individual person or nation. " It should in fact be left as free as possible of all other histories because it was originally built as a 'closed' structure with no access from the outside. To be quite honest, it would be easier just to let the 21st century time capsule go into the Hill but it just would'nt be right, we are just repeating the same old mistakes that left it in such a terrible state that it has been in over the last century... Moss x
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