Just Watch This! | Forum — The Modern Antiquarian

Stoneshifter Nov 26, 2008 08:56:06

It's the time of year when I consider next summer's fieldwork and whether I am fit to do it. I have a very long piece of wall to build, for DEFRA, and the remote valley I work in is crammed with prehistoric monuments, of almost every class, which are unknown to the archaeological community. I am becoming frail, with age, and have been subject to attacks by the fraternity of shooters, who use the moor intensively. I wonder whether anyone would like to take part in some kind of activity in the Knar valley next summer, with the intention of promoting and recognising these ancient monuments?

Stoneshifter Nov 27, 2008 08:14:16

Replying to Stoneshifter

Here's some background information ( https://www.commentarymagazine.com/viewarticle.cfm/a-descent-in-the-dark-13251?page=all ).

nigelswift Nov 27, 2008 10:02:50

Replying to Stoneshifter

with the intention of promoting and recognising these ancient monuments?

SL, a guest article by you on Heritage Action, with photographs, might help but we're in the same cleft stick as the authorities - unless a site is not only threatened but also officially recognised we're reluctant to get involved - if it stays as merely a "possible" or worse still gets officially denied as being a site it does nothing for our cred next time. It's Catch 22 and I don't doubt lots of genuine sites have been destroyed by that mechanism. Mind you, lots of fully recognised and even scheduled sites get trashed as well, like 8 out of 10 tumuli for instance... We don't have a protection system we have a lottery... And of course, if you have a whole group of sites that you class as a sacred landscape, forget it. There ain't no such word in the Acts (there is in all the UNESCO and other international conventions we're party to but those are just foreign ramblings and are ignored).