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Alexander Keiller's Avebury

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Sanctuary S
Sanctuary Jan 20, 2013 17:44:04
Replying to harestonesdown

harestonesdown wrote:
I'm with you Roy, even after reading through the entirety of the thread i can't see and reasonable reason why not to.Yeah we could wait forever for techniques to evolve but that way we'd never get anything done.

For the record i'd also open EKLB, you could cite preservation as the reason as there's no doubt the trees and badgers ARE damaging it, or we could wait and lose a whole load of knowledge.

Have you had a change of heart on the barrow Geoff? I have it in my mind that you were in favour of leaving it at one stage. I would like to see the exterior excavated to a degree to see how much damage the trees were actually doing rather than us guessing at it. If it was severe then yes, get in before it is too late.

L Littlestone
Littlestone Jan 20, 2013 18:15:06
Replying to Sanctuary

East Kennet is a real hard one (for me at least). For years I thought it should be opened up, if not for research purposes then to save it from erosion. Then moss and I went up there a few years ago and the mystery of the place was palpable “That tomb belonged in that field.”

Some things might be best left alone...

H harestonesdown
harestonesdown Jan 20, 2013 19:05:25
Replying to Sanctuary

Sanctuary wrote:
harestonesdown wrote:
I'm with you Roy, even after reading through the entirety of the thread i can't see and reasonable reason why not to.Yeah we could wait forever for techniques to evolve but that way we'd never get anything done.

For the record i'd also open EKLB, you could cite preservation as the reason as there's no doubt the trees and badgers ARE damaging it, or we could wait and lose a whole load of knowledge.

Have you had a change of heart on the barrow Geoff? I have it in my mind that you were in favour of leaving it at one stage. I would like to see the exterior excavated to a degree to see how much damage the trees were actually doing rather than us guessing at it. If it was severe then yes, get in before it is too late.
Slight change Roy, i wanted the place consolidated to lessen further damage initially, now i'm of a mind it should be excavated before any more damage is done, under the proviso everything is replaced (including any finds) as close to how they found it as possible.

I know it's the only untouched one in the region and that's my main reason for excavation, what are we losing by not excavating ? those badgers don't live a tidy life, they move things around and therefore we lose context for one.