Silbury Hill 180
Image by ginger tt
Silbury Hill

Silbury extra!

moss wrote:
If we were to think this out in a philosophical way, we would see that each part of history has its own time frame, which we should respect, tarnishing it with a 'territorial time stamp' is absurd. Avebury Village did not exist when Silbury Hill was constructed.

Pilgrim wrote:
Hear hear!
Bang on, moss; bang on. If you're around, English Heritage, heed this and think again. Please.

Totally and completely agree. But without the Please.
"Restoration and reconstruction should reveal culturally significant aspects of the place."
NB - NOT ADD NEW ASPECTS.

Why should lay persons on an internet forum be having to ask for this basic conservation principle to be heeded by the government's main statutory advisor on heritage? Its bizarre.

nigelswift wrote:
moss wrote:
If we were to think this out in a philosophical way, we would see that each part of history has its own time frame, which we should respect, tarnishing it with a 'territorial time stamp' is absurd. Avebury Village did not exist when Silbury Hill was constructed.

Pilgrim wrote:
Hear hear!
Bang on, moss; bang on. If you're around, English Heritage, heed this and think again. Please.

Totally and completely agree. But without the Please.
"Restoration and reconstruction should reveal culturally significant aspects of the place."
NB - NOT ADD NEW ASPECTS.

Why should lay persons on an internet forum be having to ask for this basic conservation principle to be heeded by the government's main statutory advisor on heritage? Its bizarre.

Doesn't re-cutting a bleeding great tunnel, adding supports and services, and then packing a large portion of the hill with new material, sort of put a bit of a dampner on these basic principles?
I guess I'm in a minority here but I think it's wonderful that EH are fixing the hill.
I think it's great that they are publishing regular updates and I don't really have a problem with a small time capsule being left behind when the work has finished.
cheers
fitz

Pilgrim suggested EH think again, but they don’t need to think again when they have everyone blaming each other to the extent no-one focuses on the role EH play in this.

The community didn't ask for a time capsule, the idea didn’t come from them and wasn't even aimed at them. From memory it was tossed in at a meeting intended to appease other groups. EH hold a number of meetings with 'groups' and community reps having already decided what they are going to do, and come out will all stupid things that those attending latch on to. EH stack and select the participants and chair it themselves.

EH then walk away and tell the board they have consulted widely and what arose was this... You see this at Stonehenge and Avebury, they even get away with doing it to archaeologists and the heritage sector! When their ill thought out ideas go wrong it is always someone else's fault and they get everyone having a go at each other just as they have above.

So don't lets have a go at each other & play the game the way EH prefer it played. None of this is the fault of the archaeos or the community or the engineers for that matter.

VBB