Re: Skara Brae | Forum — The Modern Antiquarian

ryaner Jul 10, 2012 13:28:16

Replying to CARL

The Carrowmore visitor centre and this http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/8884/listoghil_tomb_51.html are the same, still open when the staff have left. The Carrowmore complex is vast and 'securing' it would be next to impossible. I prefer to show up when they've all gone anyway, having he place to myself rather than sharing it with half-interested tourists. Newgrange and Knowth would be places I'd visit more often were they less 'secure'. Modern 'security' measures often ruin these sites.

CCTV at Skara Brae? Brings to mind the American officer in Vietnam: 'It became necessary to destroy the town to save it'*

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Tre

Littlestone Jul 10, 2012 14:19:26

Replying to ryaner

CCTV at Skara Brae? Brings to mind the American officer in Vietnam: 'It became necessary to destroy the town to save it'

At such a visited site as Skara Brae there may not be that many workable alternatives to having CCTV (if we want to try and deter vandalism that is). Cameras don’t need to be plonked in the middle of a site, they can be positioned some way off, or even hidden. All that’s then needed is a sign saying ‘CCTV cameras operate in this area’.

It might not be fool proof but it’s better than nothing – in fact, if there’d been one monitoring the lovely reconstructed Iron Age roundhouse at Barbury Castle it might not have been razed to the ground a few years ago. And if there'd been one at Rollright it might have deterred paint being plastered all over the stones.

Ditto many other sites that have and are being effed up - as we all know only too well...

GLADMAN Jul 10, 2012 21:24:18

Replying to ryaner

ryaner wrote:

CCTV at Skara Brae? Brings to mind the American officer in Vietnam: 'It became necessary to destroy the town to save it'*

Exactly. Why not stick it inside a plastic dome for posterity?