Re: Digging Silbury | Forum — The Modern Antiquarian

FourWinds Oct 10, 2006 19:39:27

Replying to Pete G

When the British Israelites were digging for the Ark of the Covenant at Tara, George Bernhard Shaw went up there at night and buried Roman coins for them to find*.

I agree with marking restoration with a date. All the concrete dolmen restorations have OPW** and the date scratched into them (in case someone should think the concrete was original!) More importantly at places like Drumskinny stone circle where whole stones have been replaced they are also marked. But leaving a fecking portal into fairy land is ridiculous!

* I think it was GBS

**Office of Public Works

Littlestone Oct 10, 2006 20:58:42

Replying to FourWinds

I agree with marking restoration with a date.

Absolutely not. Unnecessarily adding anything to an object is considered by all professional conservation bodies as bad as taking anything away from it. There may have been some small justification for dating restorations in a bygone age but not now - now there are paper and electronic records.

But leaving a fecking portal into fairy land is ridiculous!

Yup, in fact it's not only ridiculous it's also unprofessional and totally unethical.

Spaceship mark Oct 11, 2006 10:26:26

Replying to FourWinds

Restoration is a tricky one. All the stones that Le Rouzic re-erected at Carnac have an inch square of pink concrete stuck to them near the base. They're barely noticeable but when you do see them you realise just how many were re-erected. Would the Carnac alignements be as impressive if he hadn't done it?
Similarly with 'show sites' like Newgrange and the Table des Marchants at Locmariaquer. Both Disney recreations, but both a useful tool in their way for seeing how these types of site would have looked.
Not sure about 'I woz 'ere' lintels though;-)