Re: Silbury's structural integrity | Forum

Silbury Hill 180

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Silbury's structural integrity

jimit Dec 5, 2007 10:34:18

Replying to goffik

An article about the previous time capsule found by the BBC in the 60's which contained a poem by a young relation of Wordsworth.
Jim.
http://books.guardian.co.uk/poetry/features/0,,2221939,00.html

Littlestone Dec 5, 2007 10:54:24

Replying to jimit

Ah, thanks for that Jim - looking forward to receiving this month's British Archaeology magazine for the full poem; meanwhile a few lines -

"Bones of our wild forefathers, O forgive,
If we now pierce the chambers of your rest,
And open your dark pillows to the eye
Of the irreverent day! Hark, as we move,
Runs no stern whisper down the narrow vault?
Flickers no shape across our torchlight pale,
With backward beckoning arm? No, all is still..."

nigelswift Dec 5, 2007 11:30:03

Replying to jimit

They "turned down the suggestion"!!!!
That's a bit bare-faced isn't it since it was THEIR suggestion, in fact THEIR avowed intention that they defended like tigers"

How does it fit in with all they wrote to those who asked them to reconsider?

And with this -
English Heritage spokeswoman Helen Nesbitt said: "As part of the education and outreach work around the conservation project to stabilise Silbury Hill, English Heritage has worked with Avebury and Kennet Valley primary schools to create a time capsule for the Hill.

and this -
But hardcore earth lovers have disputed the burial on websites The Modern Antiquarian and Heritage Action, saying it isn't befitting for a modern item to be inserted.
English Heritage and the school have defended the ceremony saying it is the right of local people to leave their mark.

Rewriting history or what?!

nigelswift Dec 6, 2007 19:42:22

Replying to jimit

"English Heritage and Skanska engineering are this month completing a £1m rescue bid, opening the old tunnels, strengthening the original props where they could not be opened safely, and packing them solid again with chalk slurry."

So, despite the confident impression given very recently on the other thread, by no means all of Atkinson's props are being removed.

Secondly the tunnels themselves (not just the awkward voids) are to be packed with "chalk slurry". Another word for chalk slurry is "grouting" - the stuff that we were told in no uncertain terms we were wrong to suggest they consider and which wouldn't and couldn't be used because it was so damaging compared with re-entering the tunnels and packing them with dry chalk.

No reason for updates as there is nothing newsworthy eh?