>The axe quarries and production sites are extremely vunerable...
I know what you mean Fitz, and share the concerns about lithic hunters. I dunno if there is ever likely to be a watertight solution, though the ">1000yrs = crown property" idea BN posits below appeals immensely at first glance.
A couple of things that strike me about Pike O Stickle/Langdale, sort of cancel each other out when it comes to the argument of posting details on the web.
The first thing is that a lot (the majority?) of the damage was done by scree-running rather than treasure hunting, so highlighting the location, the nature and the significance of the site would help protect from that kind of damage, assuming people are prepared to listen and act with respect. In fact, is that not happening at Pike O Stickle? People surely don't still go scree-jumping there these days do they?
The second thing is that as Langdale axes were obviously held as so special, it gives artefacts added value when compared against a bit of scraggy mesolithic flint. This argues against highlighting the location.
It's a problem though, so should be discussed and solutions implemented asap (assuming solutions can be found). It certainly shouldn't just be ignored. Further down the valley in question, the highlighting of the potential problems facing the carvings at Chapel Stile has resulted in a constructive dialogue between interested parties, which is vastly more preferable than just hoping the problem will sort itself out.
Overall, too hard a question for this lad to answer, but in absence of nowt better, I'd hedge bets and plump for posting info, but keeping locations vague, maybe in fieldnotes a heavy emphasis on the dangerous nature of these treacherously slippy places where many greedy treasure hunters may have fallen to their doom, their remains having never been found, due to the inaccessibility of the site.
