Jane

From the Oxford Times, 12 May 2006

A clergyman has been told to move his cross or the council will move it for him.

Rev Edwin Clements, the parish priest for Hagbourne, Upton and Blewbury, erected the wooden cross at Churn Knob, an Iron Age burial mound, six years ago.

The 16ft cross marks the spot, high above Blewbury, where St Birinus gave his first sermon in 634AD, converting pagans to Christianity.

But the Vale of White Horse District Council has told Rev Clements to move it or face enforcement action despite the fact that he has planning permission for the structure.

The row surrounding the cross started in 2003 when English Heritage objected to it being placed on a scheduled ancient monument.

Mr Clements maintained it was not on the mound but had been erected next to it.

Read whole article here:
theoxfordtimes.net/news/headlines/display.var.757944.0.clergyman_told_to_move_cross.php

The visitor hut at a prehistoric stone circle has been burnt to the ground in what police say was an arson attack.
The hut, at the Rollright Stones on the border of Oxfordshire and Warwickshire, was completely destroyed in the blaze on Sunday.

It had been used to store visitor guides and merchandise.

Police said the fire was unrelated to an incident in March 2004 when 70 of the Neolithic stones were splashed with yellow paint.

Flames were spotted by a passing motorist in the early hours.

PC Tony Auden said the fire had “caused a significant amount of damage”.

He said arsonists had forced their way through a door and set the hut alight.

Dohn Prout, site manager, said he could not believe the Rollright Stones had suffered further “bad luck”.

Read whole story on the BBC website here: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/4644482.stm

From BBC online, Wednesday, 2 November 2005:
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/4399194.stm

Archaeologists have unearthed what is thought to be one of the largest Neolithic settlements in Britain. The discovery, which includes buildings, a human burial pit, tools, pottery and ritual objects, was uncovered at a Northumberland quarry.

It is hoped it will boost understanding of the period, which dates back thousands of years.

The discovery was made during routine archaeological investigation of the quarry, which is run by Tarmac.

The settlement, near Milfield Village, Northumberland, includes at least three buildings dating to the 4000 BC Early Neolithic period and three buildings from the 3000 BC Later Neolithic period.

Archaeologists said the find was highly important because remains of buildings are rarely found on Neolithic settlements in England.

Dr Jonathan Last, from English Heritage, said: “To find the remains of so many buildings from the Neolithic period grouped together is incredibly important.

“This exciting discovery offers huge potential to improve our understanding of Neolithic ways of life in the north-east of England.

“We hope that analysis and scientific dating of finds from the site will reveal much more about the date and function of these structures and establish whether they were homes or ceremonial buildings.”

The remains have been found over an area the size of two football pitches.

Archaeological site director Dr Clive Waddington said: “This is one of the most important sites of its kind to be discovered.

“It provides an exciting opportunity to further understanding of Britain first farmers, their way of life and beliefs about the world.”

from www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk 15 October 2005

A team of archaeologists from Sheffield University have revealed significant new insights into the role of Stonehenge after discovering a prehistoric ceremonial road. The team, also from four other universities, discovered the avenue.

It proves there was a walkway between a henge (a circular momument) at Durrington Walls, and the River Avon, three miles away, blowing a hole in the theory the standing stones at Stonehenge were a one-off feature.

The new find supports the team’s theory that Stonehenge was in fact just one part of a much larger complex of stone and timber circles linked by ceremonial avenues to the river.

Radiocarbon dates indicate the henge was in use at the same time as the sarsen stones were erected at Stonehenge. The newly-discovered roadway, with its rammed flint surface, is wider than most modern roads and more substantial than any other Neolithic track in Europe.

It runs for about 100 metres (328ft) from the timber circle within the great henge to the river. Analysis has shown that the avenue was heavily trampled by prehistoric feet, and archaeologists have unearthed numerous finds along its edge.

Prof Mike Parker Pearson, from the University of Sheffield’s Department of Archaeology, believes Stonehenge and Durrington Walls, together with its adjacent site of Woodhenge, were linked by the river to form a single complex.

He has suggested the entire complex was a funerary monument. The work was filmed for a Channel 4 Time Team special, to be screened next year.

From Heritage Action’s Heritage Journal, 24 August 2005

The Rollright Trust, guardians of the Rollright stones on the Warwickshire/Oxfordshrie border has just launched an innovative audio tour facility.

From their website, you can download a sound file for your iPod or MP3 player. But if you haven’t got the technology you can buy a CD with the tour on when you arrive at the stones and they will even lend you a CD player to listen to it on while you are there.

The audio tour is split into three tracks, one for each of the monuments at the site: the King’s Men stone circle, the Whispering Knights burial chamber and the King Stone standing stone.

The audio tour is given by George Lambrick, chair of the Rollright Trust and the leading expert on the site, its history and archaeology.

The Rollright are an excellent example of how ancient monuments can be run to the benefit of all without turning them into a Disneyland-style tourist attraction. It is one of the first heritage sites in the world to offer a guided tour as an MP3 download and earlier this year, access for visitors who are wheelchair users was improved at the site.

https://www.rollrightstones.co.uk/

EXPERTS have come up with a plan to save ancient landmark Silbury Hill from collapsing in on itself ­ but they need up to £600,000 to carry it out.

English Heritage has reached a decision on which option to take to stabilise the ancient monument, the largest prehistoric man-made construction in Europe, and guarantee its continued existence for centuries to come.

It has chosen to re-enter Silbury Hill through the tunnel dug to its centre in 1968, the subject of a BBC film made by Magnus Magnusson at the time.

The existing material that has been used to backfill the various excavations that have taken place over the last 200 years or so will be removed and replaced with chalk to the same density as the surrounding mound material. The temporary capping at the top of the shaft dug into the hill in the 18th century, which is composed of expanded polystyrene, will be removed and it, too, replaced with chalk.

Bob Bewley, south west regional director for English Heritage, said: “The tunnels have never presented the major problem. Most of the subsidence is as a result of the shaft that was dug by the Duke of Northumberland’s men in 1776 straight down through the centre of the monument in the search for gold.

“They found no gold at the base but it has left us with major headaches as it has never been satisfactorily filled in and is the cause of all the major subsidence that has threatened Silbury Hill.”

Mr Bewley and his colleagues are confident that recent work to stabilise the monument will keep it safe in the short term while arrangements are made to undertake the massive effort to complete the repairs.

It has already been five years since a massive hole opened up at the top of Silbury Hill, which was exclusively reported by the Gazette at the time.

But Mr Bewley explained that rescuing a 4,700-year-old construction from dereliction is no short-term matter.

He said: “We have not taken the quick and easy fix but have tried to understand what is happening inside the hill, which is why is has taken so long to come up with our decision.

“When we are finished the hill will hopefully not require any further attentions for hundreds of years, although we will be monitoring it regularly.”

A project board meeting is due to be held in October when a decision will be taken to put the work out to tender.

Mr Bewley said: “We hope to find the right contractor in this financial year and the work will be started in either the next financial year or the following one.

“The biggest thing will be finding the money for the work. We reckon it is going to cost in the region of £500,000 or £600,000 and we are going to have to find that money from somewhere.

“Some of that may come from commercial sponsorship. Large companies and other organisations may be pleased to be involved with this kind of project.

“It is a World Heritage Site and will attract publicity from all over the world.”

From thisiswiltshire.co.uk/wiltshire/marlborough/news/MARLB_NEWS_LOCAL7.html

Pembrokeshire is one of the ‘dig destinations’ for archaeology students this summer.

Dozens of students from all over the world are working in the county at a number of excavation sites, a major one being at Castell Henllys Iron Age Fort, which is owned and run by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority. For over 25 years, students, led by Dr. Harold Mytum, of the University of York, have been returning to Castell Henllys to help unlock more of the secrets of this unique award-winning heritage site.

Phil Bennett, archaeological heritage manager for the National Park, has worked closely with the York University team for many years. “Each year brings new excitements and findings,” he said. “Gradually the fascinating history of the site is pieced together from evidence recovered from the excavation which gives us an insight to life here over 2,000 years ago.”

“The hillfort is brought to life using information based on the many discoveries made by archaeologists during the on-going dig which is now in its 26th year. This is the only Iron Age hillfort in Britain where roundhouses have been reconstructed on their original foundations.”

Dozens of family events are taking place during the summer at Castell Henllys, bringing the past to life and finding out how our ancestors lived. “It is really nice to see children enjoying themselves and learning about the past in such a vibrant way,” added Phil. “At events at Castell Henllys children dress up in Iron Age cloaks and experience daily life in prehistoric times. Older children can actually go and see how archaeological excavations work.” Further details are available from Castell Henllys on 01239 891319 or by checking out the website www.castellhenllys.com

From tenby-today.co.uk/today/options/news/newsdetail.cfm?id=16416

Tim Cunningham, 27th July 2005

A mile-long human chain will be formed to protest at new plans for a Stanton Moor quarry.

Residents of Stanton-in-Peak were devastated to learn Matlock quarrying firm Stancliffe Stone plans to extend a pre-existing quarry at nearby Dale View.

The news came as residents were celebrating after a recent decision by the Court of Appeal ruled that Lees Cross and Endcliffe quarries are dormant.

Local people and eco-warriors have been fighting to protect the landscape for the last five years.

Julie Kidd, of the action group Stanton Against the Destruction of our Environment (SADE) said: “Everyone thinks the war is won, but it’s not for us.

“Stancliffe Stone are abandoning Lees Cross and Endcliffe to focus on a greenfield extension to Dale View quarry instead.

“But Dale View is already Britain’s largest dimensional stone quarry. It’s closer than ever to the stone circle, and much, much closer to the village.”

The campaigners say that the extension will ruin the most popular approach to the Nine Ladies site and that environmental damage will be much more visible.

Ms Kidd said: “We’re completely mystified as to why the National Park Authority is even entertaining the idea. They seem to think this glorious piece of English countryside has no value.

“We believe when Stancliffe Stone and the National Park Authority see the size of this protest – when they realise we mean business in a big, big way – they’ll understand they have to think again.”

SADE’s chairman Nick Moor said: “We’re not anti-quarrying, we’re anti-greed. The proposed extension is just too big – it’s over a mile round.

“Poor Stanton Moor just can’t take another massive onslaught.”

A spokesperson for the Park Authority said: “The situation remains unchanged – we have received no planning application to extend Dale View quarry.

“If we do, it will be subject to an open and transparent public planning process, entailing a full environmental assessment and scrutiny by the Authority. It would be a completely new full application that would be subject to the highest standards of scrutiny.”

Stancliffe Stone General Manager Mike Jones said: “We held a pre-consultation event for local residents and interested groups so that we could listen to their feedback and use it constructively to help us develop our plans.

“And that’s exactly what we’ve done, revising the boundary of the proposed extension to ensure no quarrying will take place near the woodland which forms a natural buffer between the proposed quarry extension and the village.”

Stancliffe – a subsidiary of building-supplies giant Marshalls Plc – says it will be applying for a reduced number of lorry movements as part of its extension application.

SADE are encouraging people to join the chain on Saturday, July 30, between Stanton-in-Peak and Stanton Lees from 11am.

From: matlocktoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=749&ArticleID=1097027

From Heritage Action, 22 June 2005

Access to the three ancient monuments that make up the Rollright stones has been greatly improved. It is now easier than ever for wheelchair users and families with pushchairs to enjoy the spectacle of the The King’s men stone circle, the Whispering Knights burial chamber and the King Stone standing stone in the beautiful north Oxfordshire countryside.

The improvements were unveiled in a ceremony last weekend when George Lambrick, chair of trustees of The Rollright Trust who cares for the monuments welcomed visitors and guests to inspect the new facilities for themselves.

A portion of land to the south of the King’s Men stone circle has been acquired to allow visitors to enter the circle through the portal that the bronze age builders of the circle originally intended. An all-weather anti-mud path suitable for wheelchairs now leads down from the King’s men stone circle to the Whispering Knights burial chamber. Access to the King stone has been improved and information boards have been erected.
Continues here

From BBCi, 16 June 2005

A New York-based conservation group has joined the battle to prevent further quarrying near an ancient monument known as the Stonehenge of the North.

The Landmarks Foundation said plans by Tarmac to extend its sand and gravel quarry close to Thornborough Henges, near Ripon, would be a “tragedy”.

North Yorkshire County Council is due to consider the application to extend the quarry later in the year.

The foundation said: “We strongly urge the council to reject the application.”

Tarmac already has a quarry at Nosterfield, close to the ancient henges.

The new site at Ladybridge Farm is also near the henges, which consist of three earthworks built in a line running north-south for about a mile.

Residents fear further quarrying could destroy clues about why the 5,000-year-old earthworks were built.

Their fears have come to the attention of the Landmarks Foundation, which says its mission is to conserve sacred sites and landscapes around the world.
Continues...

From PeterboroughNow 16 June 2005

In a clash between ancient history and new technology, fears have been raised that Peterborough’s renowned Flag Fen site could be forced to close if a giant waste plant is built.
Each year, more than 20,000 people visit the celebrated site in Fourth Drove, Fengate, which is recognised as one of the most important Bronze Age sites in Europe.

It was discovered by Dr Francis Pryor in 1982 when a piece of timber was spotted sticking out of the peat by archaeologists looking for a Roman road.

Since then, hundreds of relics have been discovered, including Britain’s oldest wheel, and Dr Pryor has gone on to find television fame as part of the BBC’s Time Team.

Today, the last day for public objections to be lodged, he said he had “serious reservations” about the controversial plans to build the Global Olivine energy-from-waste recycling site, which will cover 29 acres and dwarf Flag Fen.

He said: “The proposal as it currently stands gives me serious worries that it will adversely affect the undisturbed archaeological deposits on the site.

I also have concerns about the visual impact of the scheme and the way this will affect how visitors experience our Flag Fen.”
continues here...

A team of university archaeologists has uncovered the remains of an Iron Age settlement in the grounds of a Gloucestershire castle.

The group, from the University of Bristol, found fragments of human bones and prehistoric flint tools in the gardens of Berkeley castle.

The discoveries were made by students taking part in a training excavation.

Mark Horton, head of archaeology, said: “To find prehistoric remains is an exciting and unexpected discovery.”

Parts of a ring ditch, which may have circled a house, were also uncovered in an area below the castle’s Victorian flowerbeds and greenhouses.

Berkeley castle has been owned and inhabited by the same family since 1156, but little is known about the early history of the site.

“It is possible this settlement was located on a small ridge of high ground, to be visible from the River Severn, and might even had been located to help prehistoric navigation,” Dr Horton said.

The excavations are due to be filled in, but it is hoped the artefacts will be put on display for visitors to the castle.

From BBCi, 7 June 2005
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/4614747.stm

A company which wants to quarry near an ancient monument has dismissed suggestions that the site contains items of archaeological importance.
Tarmac wants to extend its sand and gravel operations next to Thornborough Henges near Ripon, North Yorks.

Residents fear further quarrying could destroy clues about why the 5,000-year-old earthworks were built.

But archaeologists working for Tarmac say there is only “thin and scattered” evidence of prehistoric activity.

Tarmac commissioned York-based Mike Griffiths and Associates (MGA) to carry out a visual survey as part of its application to the county council to extend its present quarry at Nosterfield.

The new site at Ladybridge Farm would bring quarrying much nearer the henges which consist of three earthworks built in a line running north-south for about a mile.

Each henge consists of circular earth banks and ditches which may have been covered with gypsum.

Archaeologist Steve Timms from MGA said: “With the exception of just seven shallow pits which contained Neolithic finds, very little else has been found.

“Apart from two fragments of pottery we have no evidence for Roman or medieval activity at all and most of the prehistoric finds were collected from the surface of the fields during the field walking

“The evidence suggests that people were doing something on the site in the Neolithic period but there is not enough evidence to say what it was.”

North Yorkshire County Council is due to consider the application to extend the quarry later in the year.

Mike Sanders from Friends of Thornborough Henges said the MGA survey was “quite inadequate”.

“Less than 2% of the Ladybridge Farm site has been surveyed,” he claimed.

Mr Sanders added that advances in archaeological techniques in future years might turn up more evidence and destroying the landscape now meant that opportunity would be lost.

from bbc.co.uk, 24 May 2005
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/4577241.stm

From This is Richmond, 19 may 2005
A QUARRY firm’s own archaeologists said a site chosen for excavation should not be disturbed, according to campaigners.

Pressure group Timewatch said finds from an archaeological study paid for by Tarmac Northern meant no further quarrying should be allowed at Nosterfield Quarry, near Masham, North Yorkshire.

Quarry bosses said the study of Ladybridge Farm found “thin and scattered evidence of activity dating back to the Mesolithic period that had been dispersed by thousands of years of farming”.

But George Chaplin, chairman of Timewatch, said a site of even greater archaeological potential than even they had suspected had been uncovered.

Mr Chaplin said: “The little that is left must be protected from quarrying.”

The study was conducted to accompany a planning application to extend the quarry, which will be looked at by North Yorkshire County Council later this year.

Tarmac estates manager Bob Nisholson said: “The survey and report were produced by professional archaeologists. The report has been submitted to North Yorkshire County Council and the county council will evaluate it as part of the planning application process.”

A strategy document providing guidance for the care and protection of carved stones has been unveiled by Tourism Minister Patricia Ferguson.

Carved stones provide a very real link to more than 5000 years of human activity in Scotland and are an important and significantly large proportion of the monuments and artefacts that survive from past times. Carved stones help to define the character of our environment and present-day identities, both local and national.

Emphasising the cultural importance of carved stones, Ms Ferguson said:

Scotland’s rich and varied resource of carved stones is an important cultural asset; they are a tangible connection to a very human element of our past. Carved stones have enormous and largely untapped potential, particularly for sustainable tourism and educational initiatives, but they require active conservation.

Effective protection of carved stones will continue to be achieved most effectively through better understanding of the issues involved and collective effort to address them. I hope that, with this policy and guidance, Historic Scotland and everyone else involved will be encouraged, and better placed, to identify priorities and implement strategies and action plans to respond to the needs of individual sites and categories of our important carved stones.

Read more here
from www.scotland.gov.uk

An article by Ben Kendall of the Eastern Daily Press online, 26th April 2005:

One of the biggest hauls of Bronze Age artefacts ever found in Norfolk has been uncovered in a garden – but it very nearly ended up in a skip.

The 145 items dating from circa 800BC were discovered in Norwich by gardener Simon Francis as he landscaped the grounds of a house on Poplar Avenue, near Newmarket Road.

Norfolk County Council archaeologists have described the haul as one of the largest and most significant they have known, providing a vital insight into the era.

But yesterday Mr Francis admitted he had not initially appreciated the importance of the find. He said: “I have been working as a gardener for years and I’ve often come across bits of pottery.

“At first I just thought these were bits of gate posts from Victorian times or something so I suppose I could have easily thrown them away. Fortunately there were some items like axe and spear heads which stood out.”

Property owner Shane Target said he had delighted such a find had been made. He said: “I know a bit about archaeology and I am fascinated by it.

“When Simon told me what he had found I came down to the garden and we both realised we had found something pretty special.”

Since the initial discovery of 135 items on Friday, archaeologists have revisited the site and found more items including a Viking broach.

The haul included axe heads, spear-heads, sword parts, tools and ingots.

Curator of archaeology Alan West said: “This is one of the biggest finds in Norfolk and as such is very significant.

“The items are in good condition and the more items we find the better knowledge we can develop of the era.

“It seems the items had been buried in a shallow pit. I would have thought the items we buried there as it was a safe area and they planned to return to recover them at a later date but, for whatever reason, that never happened.

“Finding the Viking broach is particularly unusual. It is rare to find items from two completely different eras all on one site.”

Fellow curator Tim Pestell said he hoped the items would eventually be displayed at Norwich Castle. “The coroner will have to decide if this qualifies as treasure which it almost certainly does,” he said. “Then we will look to put it on public display.”

He added: “I got the call about this at the end of the day on Friday when I was about to go home. It was one of those moments when you think ‘should I answer the phone’. Obviously now I’m glad I did.”

From This is Devon website, 8 March 2005

A Westcountry diving team has uncovered one of the oldest shipwreck sites in the world. In an exclusive report, John Kirk reveals how the remarkable find was made off the Devon coast

A team of amateur divers who uncovered the find of a lifetime off the Westcountry coast has struck gold for a second time. Thirteen divers – all members of the South West Maritime Archaeological Group (SWMAG) – have unearthed 3,000-year-old Bronze Age artifacts from what may be one of the oldest shipwreck sites in the world.

They include a gold bracelet called a torc, a cauldron handle, and the remains of weapons ranging from rapier blades to axe heads and swords.

All were discovered off the coast of Salcombe last October, when the divers were expanding their area of investigation from a previous site where in 1995 they found the biggest collection of Islamic riches ever found off Britain.

Experts say the latest finds are even more significant, as they may be from one of the oldest shipwrecks ever discovered. The finds, which date from 1300BC, were immediately declared to the Receiver of Wreck, Sophia Exelby, at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, as it is believed the relics come from an ancient shipwreck. They are now at the British Museum in London, where they are being examined.

Once the examinations are complete, the collection will be valued as a whole and interested museums will be able to bid for it – although it is likely that the British Museum will get first refusal, as the find is of national significance. It is believed the museum has already expressed an interest.

The divers received a salvage award of almost £100,000 when their last collection – discovered on a shipwreck a quarter of a mile off Prawle Point in 1995 – was eventually sold to the British Museum. That find included 460 gold coins, as well as ingots, nuggets, pewter, jewellery and pottery which had lain undisturbed since it was lost at sea in the 1630s.

The latest site falls within the area for the wreck which is protected from unauthorised and illegal diving under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973.

The divers say they do not want to talk about salvage awards for the latest discovery and are more interested in the significance of the find.

A spokesman for SWMAG, which includes four divers from Devon, said: “The cash has not been discussed because it’s very early days and we’re just really excited about the find.

“We thought the 17th century wreck site where we discovered Islamic gold was wonderful. But this is different and is extremely significant.

“It could possibly be one of the oldest shipwrecks in the world. To my knowledge there’s also been no gold found at a Bronze Age wreck before, and this is one of just two Bronze Age wrecks in the country.

“This discovery has really been a team effort, and we are now working with the Receiver of Wreck and English Heritage to ensure that these important artifacts are put on permanent display to the public.”

The spokesman said the location was of national interest, particularly as Bronze Age artifacts were found at the nearby Moor Sands site in the 1980s. The finds from Moor Sands date to around the same time as those discovered in the latest find, and archaeologists are examining whether they came from the same vessel.

The latest find is dominated by the blades of swords and rapiers, but axes, tools and ornaments are also present. The swords are among the earliest found in north-west Europe, while some of the other objects are of northern French origin and are types which are rare in this country.

Receiver of Wreck Ms Exelby said: “This is a very exciting find which shows the breadth of information which is available from shipwreck sites. We are now working to ensure that these unusual artifacts are given a good home, where their historical value can be appreciated by everyone.”

Stuart Needham, curator of European Bronze Age collections at the British Museum, said: “The evidence from Salcombe and other rare sites help us to build up a picture of object movements, the organisation of trade and the character of seafaring.”

English Heritage and SWMAG are now planning a research-led field season later in the year to find out more about the site.

Heritage campaigners have delivered 2,000 submissions to the Oireachtas Transport Committee opposing plans to build a motorway through the historic landscape surrounding the Hill of Tara in Co Meath.

The submissions were collected by the Save Tara-Skryne Valley group at various locations throughout Ireland over the weekend.

The group is campaigning for a re-routing of the M3 motorway away from the Tara-Skryne Valley, which is rich with archaeology dating back to the Stone Age.

Vincent Salafia, a spokesman for the Save Tara-Skryne Valley group, said the argument against the current route of the motorway was based on economics as well as archaeological protection.

He said lengthy court battles and painstaking excavations mean the M3, in its current form, could not be completed before 2015.

“It would actually be cheaper and delivered quicker if they re-routed the motorway now,” he added.

From breakingnews.ie

Environment Minister Dick Roche has reportedly stated that he does not have the power to significantly alter the proposed route of the M3 motorway through Co Meath.

Campaigners are urging Mr Roche to re-route the road away from the Tara-Skryne valley due to the archaeological and historical importance of the area.

The proposed route of M3 would pass close to the Hill of Tara and would also lead to the destruction of dozens of archaeological sites.

However, reports this morning said the minister had insisted that his only role in the controversy is to decide on the method of preservation for archaeological sites.

Under a recent amendment to the National Monuments Act, Mr Roche has the power to order the in-situ preservation of such sites, a move that would necessitate a change in the route of the M3.

From Breaking news.ie

Tuesday November 30, 2004, The Guardian

A carpenter’s new theory on how Stonehenge came about could roll away old theories on Britain’s megalithic monument, finds Patrick Weir

For more than 20 years, Derbyshire carpenter Gordon Pipes has been striving to find an answer to a 4,000-year-old question that still confounds archaeologists; namely how, without roads or wheels, did Neolithic man transport 80 sarsen stones, each weighing an average of 30 tons, 20 miles from the Marlborough Downs to Salisbury Plain to construct Stonehenge? The site also comprises 98 blue stones, each weighing six tons, from the Preseli Mountains in Wales. The question of how these were conveyed over land – it is agreed they must have been ferried in boats along the Severn Estuary and River Avon – is also unanswered. But Pipes is convinced he has found the solution.

“What fired my imagination was a book about the stone statues on Easter Island by Norwegian scientist Thor Heyerdahl,” he explains. “Working out how the ancients were able to move such heavy megaliths became an obsession.

In terms of Stonehenge, theories that one stone could have been dragged a mile a day by 700 men using rope and wooden rollers seemed as viable to me as alien involvement. The rollers wouldn’t have taken the weight and the physical effort required would have been super-human.

Continues here

From The Scotsman, 24 November 2004

Archaeologists in Scotland have made a “hugely significant” discovery by unearthing the best and most comprehensively-dated Bronze Age site in the UK, The Scotsman has learned.

The tightly clustered group of 29 cremation pits, one containing eagle talons, was uncovered at Skilmafilly when the gas maintenance company Transco was excavating and installing its £56 million gas pipeline from St Fergus to Aberdeen.

With no previous indications of the burial site, either from ground-level observations or aerial photographs, the pits were stumbled on by chance. Transco called in archaeological contractors to check the site while the pipeline was being installed. continues...

by Maev Kennedy, arts and heritage correspondent, The Guardian, Monday November 22, 2004

Stonehenge’s past brought to light
The sign advises the solitary car pootling down the deserted road, past the reassuring AA phone box, to “fork left for Exeter” – unless the driver decides to fork right onto the infant A344, park on the grass verge, and pop in for a quick wander among the towering columns of Stonehenge, or for a nice cup of tea and a Bath bun in the newly built Stonehenge Cafe.

The photograph, one of hundreds excavated for a new book by archaeologist Julian Richards, from the National Monuments Archive in Swindon and other public and private archives, dates from around 1930. The car is passing the exact spot of the current furore over what to do about the world’s most famous prehistoric site. Read whole article here...

The Neolithic burial mound at La Hougue Bie in Jersey is to be discussed at the British Museum in London.

Olgar Finch from the Jersey Heritage Trust will be talking about the historic monument at the Neolithic Studies Group meeting.

La Hougue Bie, which was discovered in 1924, is said to be one of the best preserved European passage graves.

It is thought the burial site, which dates back to about 3500 BC, was also used for ritual and ceremonials.

Solstice light
In the early 1990s the burial mound was explored properly for the first time in an excavation project and a stone façade was found.

During the German occupation in 1942, forces began to build a battalion command bunker into the eastern side of the mound.

Over 70 trenches were dug in the grounds, causing extensive archaeological damage.

The tourist attraction is best known for a ‘light box’ which allows the sun’s rays to shine through the chamber at the winter and summer solstice.

Archaeologists claim the shaft of light which heralded the start and end of winter reveals more details about the lives and beliefs of primitive Neolithic man.

Speakers from Guernsey, the UK and Belgium will also be talking at the meeting.

The first excavation of a well-known pre-historic monument has shown it to be much older than previously thought.

The archaeological dig at Badbury Rings near Wimborne in Dorset has uncovered evidence that the site was inhabited at least 5,000 years ago.

The excavations, which were prompted by concerns that tree roots on the summit were damaging the site, have found the remains of a Neolithic settlement.

The National Trust dig on the hill fort ends on Friday.

Martin Papworth, National Trust archaeologist for Wessex, said: “To date, it is the only hill fort of this size not to be excavated in the area.

“We are hoping that this first excavation of Badbury Ring will help us untangle the chronology of this important piece of Dorset’s history.”

The evidence found so far dates the first occupation of Badbury Rings , which are part of the National Trust’s Kingston Lacy Estate, between 3500 and 1500 BC.
from news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/3684294.stm

14 Sept 2004 by David Bell, Evening Mail

The remains of a sauna used by Bronze Age Brummies is set to scupper a
multi-million pound marina project for the city. The ‘hot tub’ threat emerged
as planners investigated possible sites for the big money tourism scheme.

Water voles who live on the stretch of water at Millpool Hill, Alcester Road South,
alongside the Stratford Upon Avon canal, could be another hurdle.

Planners have identified the location as the only place in the city with the potential
to be turned into a marina with mooring for up to 80 boats. But the area includes
the sauna suite beside the Chinn Brook known as the Bayston Road Burnt Mound.

Dating to between 1500 and 1000 BC, it is thought to be the debris from heated
stones used as saunas by Bronze Age Brummies within the shelter of willow
structures. Councillors want a proper archaeological excavation to uncover other historical clues.

“This site proves that Bronze Age Brummies were far more sophisticated than we gave them
credit for,” Coun Peter Douglas Osborn told city planners. “You can tell it was a sauna
because of all the round stones on the site. They used it for recreation.”

Marina developers will also be required to carry out a field survey for water
voles – a legally protected species – and avoid habitats at all costs.

Officials want the marina complex to include a clubhouse, cafe, restaurant
and visitor facilities. They see it as a lure not only for tourists, but also as
a centre for water sport activities.

From: icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/tm_objectid=14640183&method=full&siteid=50002&headline=bronze-age-sauna-may-sink-plans-for-tourism-name_page.html

The report on controversial plans to build a £200m tunnel near Stonehenge has gone to the secretary of state for transport, Alastair Darling.

Planning inspector Michael Ellison has been compiling his findings since the public inquiry into the road building scheme at the world heritage site finished in May.

His completed report will contain a recommendation about whether a 2.1km tunnel should be bored through the landscape or the plans should be scrapped in favour of finding an alternative solution.
More here...

From an article by Stephen Stewart of The Herald – 9th September 2004

One of Scotland’s most important museums has been saved from closure by a £100,000 investment package. Frank McAveety, the culture minister, helped broker the deal which will save Kilmartin House Museum in Argyll.

Stars from the world of television archaeology including Tony Robinson, Baldrick in the comedy Blackadder and presenter of Time Team, had rallied to support the museum, which was due to close this month.
More....

Hey, TMA kids, why not vote? britarch.ac.uk/yac/voting

by Martin Wainwright
Thursday August 26, 2004, The Guardian

Thousands of young archaeologists are rallying to the defence of the country’s only GCSE in the subject, which is facing abolition by the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance examining board (AQA).

An online opinion poll and petition will be launched today to demand a change of heart over ending the “first-stage” exam which has a record of stimulating interest in A-level and archaeology degrees. Voting will run until September 30.

The campaign has been organised by the Young Archaeologists’ Club, which has seen a steady rise in membership following TV series such as Time Team. Although only 350 students sat the exam this year, up to 10 times that number are estimated to want to tackle it, if appropriate teaching can be found.

“We are ready and able to help with that,” said Don Henson, an education officer of the Council for British Archaeology, which has organised some of Britain’s most distinguished specialists in the country to lobby the exam board. The campaign is also being backed by the presenter of Time Team, the actor Tony Robinson, who called the abolition decision “plain daft”.

Mr Robinson said: “We should be making the past more accessible, not burying it. There’s a huge interest in archaeology these days, and it’s an interesting, exciting and open-air science which specially appeals to the young. How sad it’ll be if only those students who stay on into the sixth form are able to take an archaeology exam.”

The Young Archaeologists’ Club, whose members are currently fighting it out in a national competition to design a prehistoric monument, promised to campaign against the abolition with vim. There may also be a legal challenge to AQA because of the lack of any alternative to their archaeology GCSE.

“They have announced quite a list of GCSEs they plan to get rid of, including accountancy, classical Greek and Russian,” said Mr Henson. “But archaeology is the only one which isn’t available from any of the other boards.”

The AQA has regularly praised the quality of its archaeology candidates, despite teaching shortages.

from guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1290993,00.html

by Norman Hammond, Archaeology Correspondent of The Times Online, 24 August 2004

UNPRECEDENTED protests have been made in Yorkshire about plans to quarry the prehistoric ritual landscape around the Thornborough Henges.

Although the closing date for comments on the proposals is still more than a month away, North Yorkshire County Council has received more objections than for any other planning application, according to the magazine Current Archaeology.

Thornborough — sometimes called “the Stonehenge of the North” although the monuments consist of three huge earthen banked circles without stones — has long been a scheduled ancient monument in recognition of its importance.

But protesters say that the problem is that, as at Stonehenge, the visible monument is just the core of a densely packed ritual area of other ancient sites. “The quarry has already eaten 40 per cent of the ritual landscape of the henges, we cannot afford to lose more,” Current Archaeology says.

English Heritage stated this year that Thornborough was “the most important ancient site between Stonehenge and the Orkneys”, but quarrying so far has come within yards of the henges. Although Tarmac Northern Ltd, the company involved, has responded by announcing that it will hold off plans to quarry Thornborough Moor, one of its potential gravel sources that is closest to the henges, it has applied to expand at the Ladybridge Farm site to the north.

“If permission is granted to quarry there, it will cause the loss of a further 111 acres of archaeology that is of critical importance”, Current Archaeology says. More than 10,000 people have already signed a petition against the development, organised by Heritage Action, which claims that the Ladybridge site “is potentially the most important remaining area of archaeology in the ritual landscape of the henges”.

George Chaplin of Heritage Action said that Ladybridge included the remains of a settlement between the henges and a dried-up glacial lake to the north which may have been used by those attending rituals. “Current quarrying in this general zone has already turned up large amounts of archaeology: smaller investigative excavations indicate even more lies within the Ladybridge area. It is a tragedy that despite knowing this, Tarmac is intent on going ahead,” Chaplin told the magazine.

The landscape includes settlement, alignments of pits creating avenues to structures no longer visible, and burials covering three millennia of ceremonial activity. “Much of this archaeology is extremely rare and nationally important in its own right,” Current Archaeology says.

By Tony Gussin of the North Devon Gazette.

The silent earth of Exmoor has given up some of its secrets in the form of a prehistoric home dating back 3,500 years.

Members of the North Devon Archaeological Society were thrilled to uncover the remains of a Bronze Age round house as they carried out a two-week excavation at a site near Parracombe.

It was the third year a dig has taken place on the site, and last year the team uncovered an almost complete prehistoric pot, now on display at the Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon.

But although nothing as intact was found this time, the group was still delighted when members uncovered a series of stone clad ‘post holes’ clearly marking out where the walls of a round house once stood.

Similar to a replica which can be seen near Braunton Burrows, the structure would have had a conical thatched roof and measured around 30 feet across.Continues...

from BBCi
Druids tried to spiritually clean them but now it is a vet’s turn to see if he can physically restore them to health.
The ancient Rollright Stones on the Oxfordshire/Warwickshire border have been off-colour ever since vandals daubed them in bright yellow paint.

Hi-tech ultrasound equipment used by vets to clean plaque from animals’ teeth is now to be used in an attempt to restore the stones. It is hoped the device will leave rare lichen on the stones untouched. Continues...

by Lynn Jackson, from This is East Dorset

AN AMBITIOUS project to uncover ancient archaeological remains dating back to the Bronze Age is due to start in east Dorset next month.

A team led by archaeologists from Bournemouth University plans to investigate a number of round barrows from around 2000BC at Knowlton Circles, south of Cranborne, as well as other ancient monuments along the Allen Valley.

Historians believe this part of Dorset was heavily occupied 4,000 years ago, but very little is known about how these early people lived.

Project leader John Gale, who is organising this summer’s dig with both university students and local volunteers, said: “It could be very exciting. There are hundreds of round barrows in this area, although many are hard to spot on the surface.

“Ancient monuments on Cranborne Chase have been relatively well studied but there’s been very little excavation work carried out in the Knowlton area and along the Allen Valley.

“The last major dig in this part of Dorset was sometime in the 1890s, but since then it’s hardly been looked at.”

As well as Bronze Age remains, archaeologists have also unearthed evidence of a nearby Romano-British settlement dating back to the first century AD.

Now, the university-led team hopes to do more exploratory work on this widespread site, with a view to carrying out excavations over the next four years.

Students and volunteers are set to start the dig on August 9, and will be on site six days a week, with Saturdays off.

Visitors are welcome to come and see how the work is progressing.

Published 27 July 2004

From BBCi, 22 July 2004
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3915397.stm

Excavations are set to begin at what experts have described as one of the most important archaeological sites in Scotland.
They are trying to discover exactly how much damage was done by a major fire at the site last year.

The dig is taking place on Traprain Law, a hill near East Linton in East Lothian.

The area is noted as having been a major population centre in the late Bronze Age, 3,000 years ago.

In 2003, a fire started by a discarded cigarette end burned through grass and vegetation, damaging some historical remains and exposing others to potential erosion.

It left an unstable mixture of soil, mud and ash.

Investigators are now examining the worst affected areas hoping to carry out rescue and rehabilitation work.

Among the early finds in the current operation have been parts of a mediaeval building, as well as ancient tools, pottery and beads.

In the period AD 80 to 400 Traprain Law’s inhabitants had regular contacts with Roman visitors.

A huge hoard of Roman silver items was found on the hill in 1919.

July 19, 2004
form icNorthWales

EXPERTS have been brought in to help turn ancient bronze age copper workings in North Wales into a major tourist attraction.

Focus for the Copper Mountain project, which includes the old port of Amlwch in Anglesey, will be the historic Mynydd Parys mines and open cast sites. These played a major part in launching the industrial revolution in Britain and western Europe.

Now the mountain will be at the centre of a two-pronged bid to get visitors rolling in.

The Amlwch Industrial Heritage Trust has taken on consultants Gifford and Partners to draw up a detailed conservation management plan. The brief is to outline a programme of repair and restoration.

Another company, Parkin Heritage and Tourism, will draw up a development study and business plan.

The two reports will form the basis for future bids for funding.

On July 27 a team from Gifford will be setting up a day-long surgery at Amlwch Town Hall to get local opinions.

Project archaeologist Babita Sharma said: “We hope to speak to people to understand how they feel about their unique heritage.”

16 July 2004, from 24hourmuseum.org.uk

Yorkshire campaigners opposing the proposed planning application by Tarmac Northern to quarry close to Thornborough Henges in North Yorkshire, say the application contravenes the local council’s policy on quarrying in the area.

Heritage Action claim that North Yorkshire County Council’s ‘Minerals Action Plan’, which regulates mineral extraction and quarrying in the region, recommends a reduction in the supply of sand and gravel from the county by 500, 000 tonnes per year.

This they maintain is not consistent with Tarmac’s proposed plans to quarry the nearby Ladybridge area. Continues here...

by RHIANNION EDWARD of The Scotsman, Monday 5 July 2004

RESEARCHERS are hoping that a computer program will map all of Scotland and give a virtual impression of the landscape as far back as 15,000 years ago.

The team, from the University of Stirling, has started by modelling the village of Kilmartin in Argyll as it was 15,000 and 4,500 years ago. The pictures of 15,000 years ago depict the area as under sheets of ice and a glacier where Loch Awe is now. The pictures of 4,500 years ago depict the area, now lush agricultural land, as dense woodland.

The technology was developed in six months by researchers at the university’s School of Biological and Environmental Sciences.

The university has set up a Virtual Landscape Centre to help bring history to life. The centre’s director, Sandy Winterbottom, said it was unnerving standing in a virtual-reality reconstruction of thousands of years ago of an area she knew well.

She said: “We have reconstructed the Kilmartin landscape for two periods – 15,000 years ago and 4,500 years ago.

“The first period was in an ice age and the whole area was covered in sheets of ice. Very little grew, just moss and lichens. The landscapes are desolate and cold,” she said.

“The later landscape shows a densely wooded, leafy and green valley. It comes from the time of many of the exciting finds archaeologists have made in the area, like the Temple Wood Stone Circle.”

Dr Winterbottom said the technology could help interest children in science. “This is a new way you can teach people. Museums have to catch up with the technology they are using. Children are used to computers and IT, and exhibits in glass cases don’t grab them anymore.”

From The Scottish Herald, 1 July 2004
Archaeologists have found the remains of a prehistoric village on Orkney, which has already unlocked secrets of the island’s life, beliefs and rituals.

The discovery will provide a mine of information and has already revealed that Orkney was more densely populated than thought and its inhabitants were happy living among their dead.
Experts said the ruins contradict the orthodoxy that prehistoric human activity was confined to the area around the ceremonial structures of Ring of Brodgar and the Standing Stones of Stenness.

A series of exploratory excavations around the site of the Ness of Brodgar in Orkney revealed that the area may contain a well-preserved neolithic village.

Nick Card, projects manager for the Orkney Archaeological Trust, and his team found evidence of a massive village between the two stone circles – covering an area of just more than six acres – which may date from approximately 3500-1800BC.

Continues

From The Guardian, Wednesday June 16, 2004
Julian Cope may well be the only antiquarian researcher to have appeared on Top of the Pops while stoned on acid. He talks to John Vidal about why we venerate landscape, the politics of heritage, shamanism, and the prehistoric nature of football worship

Julian Cope, a middle-aged man wearing a baseball cap, is sitting under a great oak at Avebury, one of Britain’s finest megalithic sites, holding forth on what makes a place hallowed. There are, he says, tens of thousands of stone circles, dolmans, amphitheatres and monuments, but these are mere pointers. “The sacred landscape is everywhere,” he says. “Britain’s ancientness shocks me. It’s all there, just below the surface. You can peel it away like the skin of an onion.”
Whole article continues here...

Article from Neal Ascherson in The Observer, Sunday 13 June 2004, considering the dilemmas Stonehenge presents to developers.

Lose the roaring A roads and restore the empty grassland around Stonehenge? Sounds like a great plan – but objectors say it is missing the opportunity of the century

A week tomorrow is the summer solstice. The druids, the pilgrims and an assorted army of expectant people will gather at Stonehenge to greet the dawn. If it’s clear weather, they will hope to see the disc of the midsummer sun appear in the gap between two of the huge sarsen uprights, in line with the single monolith of the heel stone. Then they will sing and rejoice and inhale the flow of spiritual force. Continues here...

From BBCi, 3 June 2004
Conservationists have vowed to fight plans to extend quarrying near one of Britain’s most important archaeological areas.

Nosterfield sand and gravel quarry near Ripon is close to the Neolithic and Bronze Age site of Thornborough Henges.

John Lowry, chairman of the Friends of Thornborough Henges, believes there can be no compromise over its future.

But quarry owners Tarmac Northern says the site faces closure if the extension does not receive the go-ahead.

Tarmac Northern employs 15 full-time people and the proposal will guarantee the quarry’s future for another four years. Continues

From the Wiltshire GAzette and Herald, 31 May 04
Campaigners gathered at Silbury Hill, at Avebury, on Saturday, four years after the summit collapsed, to air their concerns over its future.

Heritage Action, a group dedicated to the care of threatened and neglected prehistoric sites, believe urgent action is needed to prevent further damage.

The group wants English Heritage, which manages the site, to take heed of its rallying cry ­ fix the hill.

Avebury resident and campaigner Pete Glastonbury said: “Local people are now aware of the situation and many archaeologists are very concerned.

“The word is rapidly getting out to the wider public that nothing has been done and they’re disgusted with English Heritage’s inaction.”

Silbury Hill is the world’s largest man-made prehistoric mound.

It was built by our Neolithic ancestors 4,500 years ago and represents a work-effort that far outstrips Stonehenge or Avebury.

It is Britain’s equivalent of the Egyptian pyramids and pre-dates many of them.

On May 29, 2000 it suffered the first of a series of collapses of old excavation tunnels and a huge hole appeared at the top.

In 1974 it was fenced off in order to protect it from the erosion caused by thousands climbing it.

Earlier this month the site’s owner, Lord Avebury, told a public inquiry into the wording of the Countryside And Rights of Way Act draft legislation he was stunned the Countryside Agency wanted to label the hill as unimproved chalk grassland.

The move could lead to ramblers having free access to the hill, which opponents fear may cause damage.

From: thisiswiltshire.co.uk/wiltshire/marlborough/news/MARLB_NEWS_LOCAL2.html

27 May 2004 , from ‘This is Cornwall‘

Work to restore and repair one of West Penwith’s well-known prehistoric stone circles has neared completion, in a joint project between the county council’s Environment and Heritage Service, Defra and the Nine Maidens Commoners.

The Nine Maidens Stone Circle, on the northern fringe of Madron between Ding Dong and craggy Carn Galver, has undergone extensive works including scrub clearance, drainage improvements and footpath repair. As a final enhancement, the three long-fallen stones will be re-erected after a preliminary excavation to locate their original sockets.

When first recorded in the mid 18th century, there were 19 stones surviving of an original ring of 22.

Now, there are only 11 stones and of the surviving stones, six stand upright, two are leaning heavily and three have completely fallen.

Other prehistoric monuments surviving close to the stone circle include the stump of a standing stone and several Bronze Age barrows, as well as the famous Men an Tol.

Together they indicate that this area was an important focus in prehistoric times.

The erosion of the monument and surrounding area has been caused by visitors and trail bike users.

Paths leading into the circle had become eroded and muddy while thick gorse had grown over parts of the circle.

Ann Preston-Jones, an archaeologist from the county council’s Historic Environment Service, said: “This is a really exciting project. The Nine Maidens is a fine example of one of Cornwall’s famous stone circles, but at the moment it seems neglected and sad.

“The work will greatly improve the condition and accessibility of the site. Clearing away the gorse will make the site more visible, but restoring the fallen stones will make it look even more impressive.”

Richard Glasson, Defra’s project officer for the West Penwith Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) said: “We are pleased that the commoners have undertaken this work jointly funded by English Heritage and ourselves through an ESA conservation plan to enhance an important site for the future enjoyment of the public.”

A series of events celebrating the rich and varied archaeology of Strathearn and beyond is set to take place from May 29 until June 6.

Perthshire Archaeology Week has been organised by a consortium of local and national organisations, and receives funding from Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust and the Perthshire Tourist Board.

A series of illustrated talks, guided walks and other events will take place alongside two excavations, for which volunteers are still required.

The first dig will be at Innerpeffray Library, near Crieff, and will be carried out by Roman expert David Woolliscroft as he attempts to find the route of the Gask Ridge Roman road as it crossed the River Earn near Strageath Roman fort.

The second dig, organised by Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust and SUAT Ltd of Perth, will take place at the National Trust for Scotland’s Old Schoolhouse Cottown, near St Madoes.

For further information visit www.perthshire.co.uk/archaeologyweek or pick up at leaflet at any tourist information centre or library throughout Perthshire.

Hmmm, I wonder how much more has been found and not reported?
A day’s metal detecting has unearthed an unexpected treasure – a 4,000-year-old piece of gold.

The ornamental piece of gold is only the second piece to ever be found in the UK and the first to be discovered in Dorset.

It was found by Clive Gibbs and his metal detector in a ploughed field in Fontmell Magna in November 2002.

The precious metal has a gold content of 87 per cent and although it can’t be identified with total certainty, may have come from Ireland or France.

Claire Pinder, senior archaeologist at Dorset County Council, said: “One side of the strip is decorated with thin lines, the other side is quite plain.

“It’s meant to be decorative, maybe it would have been set into something like a wooden object or wrapped around clothing.

“It could also have been part of an earring or twisted into someone’s hair, we just don’t know.

“It probably belonged to someone wealthy or of high status. It looks flimsy but is very heavy because of its high gold content.”

The only other similar piece to be found in Britain was discovered in Oxford and sent to the British Museum in 1982.

The gold is the most significant find in Dorset recently but treasure seekers have enjoyed a run of success.

John Hinchcliffe, of Tarrant Hinton, was metal detecting on farm land at Charlton Marshall last December when he discovered a medieval silver finger ring, engraved with flowers and bearing a merchant’s mark.

And Julian Adams unearthed six Roman coins on land at Melcombe Horsey last October.

All three items were officially declared “treasure” by coroner Michael Johnston at an inquest this week and are awaiting valuation.

Published: May 21
From:
thisisdorset.net/dorset/north_dorset/news/NORTH_DORSET_NEWS_NEWS0.html

by Maev Kennedy of The Guardian, Monday 17 May 2004

An attempt will be made today to have a hill reclassified as a building to protect one of the most enigmatic prehistoric structures in Europe.

Ramblers may gain a theoretical entitlement to walk up the sides of Silbury Hill in Wiltshire if the largest manmade mound in Europe is classified as “open countryside” under the countryside and rights of way bill.

The highest profile objectors to the draft maps so far are celebrities including Madonna, anxious to protect their privacy.

The guardians of the 4,700-year-old hill have been trying to persuade people to keep off Silbury since 1974, when it was closed to the public, without destroying its appearance with intrusive fencing. The monument came close to destruction three years ago when torrential winter rain seeped into shafts left by earlier excavation, which collapsed. Although English Heritage has carried out repairs, the whole structure is vulnerable. Continues here...

---

And the same story here from ‘This is Bristol’ 17 May 2004
A bizarre row erupted last night over attempts to open up access to Europe’s biggest ancient monument under controversial right-to-roam laws. Locals say the Countryside Agency is “totally mad” for marking Silbury Hill as “unimproved chalk grassland” – because it was built entirely by prehistoric man. Continues here...

---

> And the same story here from BBCi, 17 May 2004
A peer has compared an ancient monument to the pyramids in a row over the government’s right to roam laws. Lord Avebury says he is “stunned” the Countryside Agency’s wants to label Silbury Hill in Wiltshire as “unimproved chalk grassland”.
Whole article here

By Stephen Stewart, May 10 2004

Archaeologists have re-discovered a lost chapter in Orkney’s history which will develop the understanding of mysterious ancient monuments found across Scotland.
Underwater researchers are examining small, artificial islands in Orkney’s inland waters, which have lain undiscovered for generations.

Crannogs were fortified places of refuge which are found throughout Scotland in lochs and other waters, but are a class of ancient monument not usually associated with Orkney. Bobby Forbes, an underwater archaeologist, is leading the project in a shallow loch which lies between Stromness and the Loch of Harray, in the vicinity of prehistoric remains at the Ring of Brodgar, Maes Howe and the Stones of Stenness.

He said: “We were doing some work in the Stenness Loch area and found two small islands with causeways, which were flooded by the sea. People have just not known about these man-made islands. The sites are not recorded in Orkney’s sites and monuments record.

“We are eager to find out how these sites fit in with the rest of Orkney’s archaeology. When they were created, agricultural land would have been at a premium.
“As people tried to avoid inhabiting agricultural land, they would have moved on to the loch and these very easily defended positions.”

Some crannogs elsewhere in Scotland and Ireland were large enough to house whole communities, and others were important royal or monastic centres.

A treasure hoard dating back to the late Bronze Age has been unearthed in Mickleham.

The ancient stash, which includes two axe heads and the end of a sword scabbard, was discovered at Norbury Park on December 9 2003, but only came to light at an inquest last week.

The find, which was made by metal detectionist, Martin Hay, from Horley, was uncovered on land belonging to Surrey County Council.

At the inquest opened by Surrey coroner Michael Burgess in Woking last Thursday, the court heard how the treasures were submitted to Surrey finds liaison officer, David Williams, who took them to the British Museum.

Mr Burgess explained: “This was a small hoard of three complete bronze objects.”

He went on to determine that the prehistoric artefacts of “agricultural origin” were found approximately 400 metres from the west bank of the River Mole.
More...

From ‘ThisisSlough.com‘

A 3,000-year-old hill-top settlement has been discovered during water mains digging.

Pottery and flint have been found alongside burnt bones and storage pits at a site near Taplow. The remains are thought to date back to 850 BC, and are from the late Bronze Age or early Iron Age.

A team of archaeologists are now trying to establish whether the settlement was permanent or temporary. More...

by Maev Kennedy, arts and heritage correspondent, The Guardian, Thursday April 8, 2004

Radical rethink beckons as pilot project looks to impose single register on old and new buildings, public and private sites

An attempt was launched yesterday to devise a single sensible list which can protect a redundant 19th-century steelworks in Sheffield, the imposing Victorian tombs and leaning marble crosses of Arnos Vale cemetery in Bristol, medieval water meadows in Hampshire, London Underground stations on the Piccadilly Line, ancient flint axe works in Cumbria – and the 32-storey Centre Point tower in London.
“We don’t need to test it on simple cases, we need to test it on the most complex cases we can find,” English Heritage chief executive Simon Thurley said.

The 15 pilot projects, for the most radical reform since scheduled ancient monument and listed building protection was introduced over a century ago, include sites in private, public and mixed ownership.

The pilot projects involve reaching management agreements on what makes the sites special and valuable, and how those features should be preserved and enhanced.

The current listing system is frequently adversarial, pitting owners against the heritage quango, and operates mainly as crisis management. Buildings or sites are listed because of their historic importance or interest, but there is generally no further engagement with owners unless drastic alteration is proposed or – for example Greenside, an important Modern Movement house demolished last winter without permission – actually carried out.

One pilot site is the Holkham estate in Norfolk, which includes listed gardens and parkland, and working farms around the Grade I-listed Holkham Hall, and is owned by an English Heritage commissioner, Lord Leicester – Mr Thurley wryly predicted if the system does not work well, they will certainly hear about it.

The government has already said it wants a single register to replace the current plethora of schemes covering everything from Stonehenge to shipwrecks, Capability Brown landscapes to modest Georgian terraced houses.

The head of listing at English Heritage, Peter Beacham, said a listing system designed to protect a 200-year-old thatched cottage did not work well for 20th-century buildings, which are often the most commercially sensitive.

The 1960s Centre Point, designed by Richard Seifert and now Grade II listed, was once a radical cause celebre, when its owner, Harry Hyams, demanded huge rents, did not get them, and then left it empty for almost 20 years. The management plan would allow routine changes to the office interiors, but maintain the uniform look from the exterior, and special consent would be needed for major alterations.

Another tricky case is the University of East Anglia in Norwich, designed by Denis Lasdun, architect of the National Theatre. Although the buildings, many now Grade II*-listed, set in beautifully landscaped grounds, were much admired externally, students have always complained that they froze in winter and baked in summer. The university now argues that it needs to develop the campus to maintain its international competitiveness.

In striking contrast, Langdale neolithic landscapes in Cumbria are mainly open parkland run by the National Trust, where the chief threat is thousands of fell walkers. The site includes such extensive remains of worked flint that dozens of sites – none with any specific designation, or any defence against passing anorak pockets – are now seen as Neolithic flint axe “factories”.

The pilot sites are: Arnos Vale cemetery, Bristol; Centre Point, London; Cornish road and rail bridges; Darnall works, Sheffield; Foulness island, MoD Shoeburyness, Essex; the Godolphin estate, Cornwall; Holkham estate, Norfolk; Kenilworth Castle, Abbey and Mere, Warwickshire; Langdale neolithic landscapes, Cumbria; Piccadilly line, London Underground; RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire; University of East Anglia, Norwich; water meadows, Eastleigh, Hampshire; the Weld estate, Dorset; York city walls.

More on this from a Cumbrian perspective on BBCi here

Dog-walker Jamie Stevenson took a stroll along the beach – and stumbled across an axe head dating back to the stone age.

Mr Stevenson, a Radio Solent newsreader, said: ‘My dog Woody likes chasing stones when I skim them on the water, and so I just happened to pick it up.

‘It felt different and looked different. It moulded nicely into my hands. When I looked at it more closely I saw that the edges were cut to be sharp.‘

Mr Stevenson took the stone he found on Prinsted Beach to Havant Museum.

It was forwarded to Kay Ainsworth, the keeper of archaeology at Hampshire Museums Service.

She said: ‘This is a very nice example of a flint Mesolithic era axe. The general shape suggests that it was used as an adze – a stone-age carpentry tool.‘

Mr Stevenson said: ‘The museum dated it to around 8,500BC.

The axe head was returned to Mr Stevenson, who plans to keep it safe.

From Portsmouth Today