This was my response:
Neil,
Firstly, I suspect this is not the right forum for this issue, so I think the correct thing is to move it to Britarch.
That 'megaliths.co.uk' site is of course full of nonsense. You seem to
be implying that it's similarly batty to oppose what's being done up at
Thornborough?
In urban environments, sites built on top of archaeology go to great
lengths not to damage what's underneath, such as building foundations on
small cross-section concrete posts. One hears how excavation and
intrusion is minimised, the argument being that in fifty years' time
(say), techniques will have moved on to recover more data.
Can I ask how do you propose protecting the undiscovered archaeology
under the areas of quarrying for future generations? Should you not be
excercising more caution? You are a county archaelogist, is your role in
the council not one of environmental conservation?
You seem to be saying we don't have enough evidence to act, what more
can we do? That's where campaigners could help.
I'm sure that a few years ago people were rubbishing (pun not intended)
the linear alignments of the cairns in the Kilmartin Valley - indeed a henge was completely quarried away up there. These days I understand
that the concepts of a 'sacred landscape' are quite well accepted, in
places such as around Stonehenge, Bodmin Moor and Kilmartin.
As you say, research is ongoing, and perhaps more evidence will appear
of a more widespread archaeological landscape. Will you then stand up
and say 'Oops, sorry, we allowed it to be quarried away'.
I shall be covering this issue in my forthcoming Site Watch column in
3rd Stone magazine and would like to put your side of the story,
although I normally expect 'your side' to be that of the developers!
Regards,
Andy
http://www.megalithic.co.uk
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