Well I hope we don't hear something like.... well there are two schools of thought and on balance, since the children have worked so hard on their contributions and would be disappointed if we cancelled it, we're going ahead.

There aren't two valid schools of thought, just one. And if any of those youngsters grow up with just an average sense of propriety they may be hopping mad to think what they were made party to before they were able to apply mature judgement.

Well they didn't put in on the site, but at least I got a reply:

"I would like to object in the strongest possible way to the ridiculous idea of putting a children's time capsule inside Silbury. It is not only a poorly-thought out idea, it contravenes everything that EH are supposed to stand for.

It is not uncommon for archaeologists to leave something untouched for future excavations, purely from an unselfish point of view, knowing that they will be better equipped in the future to deal with a situation. There is no time schedule set for that return, just a note for Mr Future-Archaeologist that will be acted on when the time is right.

With the addition of a time capsule, every ten years someone will consider digging up the capsule, for absolutely no good reason at all. The contents will be well known, and so there will be absolutely no point leaving it there. Time capsules are a great idea, but not in an ancient and protected monument. They have their place, and inside Silbury is not it.

There really is no justification for leaving anything but chalk inside Silbury. The only result will be a pointless problem for the future to deal with. Do EH really want their legacy to be one ridiculed for its short-sightedness, bowing to the need for media exposure, being seen as the kindly uncle instead of serious guardians of our past into the future?

Please rethink this decision. It is setting a very dangerous precedent. Otherwise, I can see an EH future where there are a thousand cremations at Stonehenge each year, burials inside Avebury, and weddings at The Sanctuary.

A very dangerous precedent indeed."

The reply:

"Dear Mr Angry Bastard,

Thank-you for your comments.

There are, like many issues related to conservation generally and to Silbury specifically, divergent but equally cogent and supportable views on how to proceed.

Our position is that placing a 'time capsule' within the new infill will be a minimal risk to the integrity of the Hill in the future and that this minimal risk is outweighed in the present by the benefits to be gained by providing an opportunity for schoolchildren and their families to engage with their local historic environment.

Best regards from the Silbury Project Team"

And my reply to his reply:

"I am sorry, but the so-called benefits of putting a publicised box into an ancient and protected monument do not really exist - what is wrong with using the carpark instead? What possible extra goodness can be squeezed from burying a retrievable item inside Silbury Hill?

The cynic in me says there are other, more clandestine reasons for doing this. Media exposure maybe? Someone in a suit who wants to be photographed in a hard hat, showing how much he is 'with the people'?

Do 'the people' even realise what you are planning to do? As guardians of the site, this is exactly the kind of thing you are supposed to prevent. Maybe the best decision would be to hand the care of the site over to someone who understands what their job is!

Whatever the real reasons for choosing this site over a neutral piece of ground close by, the result will be another dig at some time in the future, that much is obvious. Not for archaeological reasons, just purely to retrieve an item deliberately placed there, the contents of which will be publicly known, thanks to the media coverage - does that not sound even slightly daft to you?"