Julian Cope presents Head Heritage | The Modern Antiquarian Forum | What's acceptable when interacting with sites?

summerlands

192 posts

What's acceptable when interacting with sites?

May 16, 2011, 19:50

Bit of an open question I realise, but one I was thinking on...

What’s the consensus on touching / climbing / decorating / leaving offerings on monuments?

I know we shouldn't uncover rock art, chalk it to make it more visible, climb on standing stones, take stones from or add to cairns, and graffiti is damaging to the surface of stone and is properly annoying... but if you had to draw up a list of rules for interacting with sites what would it be? And what are the reasons for each 'rule'?

I always wonder about keeping to wear marks in the turf when visiting places - then wonder if I’m better spreading the erosion? I seem to remember reading years ago about leaving coin offerings being chemically damaging? I know people aren’t keen on offerings left at sites at all, but Is that mostly an aesthetic thing - or is there some greater reason?

One reason I'm asking is my kids were sitting all over cairn curb stones not long back, and whilst I wasn't worried about them being unstable, I found myself saying 'no don't play horses on the stones....' and then struggling to put forward a coherent reason ..because you may damage the lichen...ermmm'.

So I'd like to get it straight :-)

Also I was wondering from a work point of view - how damaging could clambering all over cairn stones be to photograph them, or, say, covering part of a stone standing stone perhaps in leaves using it as part of a land art installation, or temporarily draping yarn on a stone to create an effect and photograph it, then remove it? All things that have fleeted through my mind as ideas but I’ve not been able to decide the risks involved… Just examples

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