Chapter 10: Managing the Past
Multiple Choice Questions
Weblinks
This chapter looks at the conservation and protection of archaeological remains and also at the various organisations involved in managing it. While the focus of the textbook was on the UK, examples from around the world are included here.
10.0 Threats to archaeological remains
A good site with lots of links on destruction and threats is at:
http://pcwww.liv.ac.uk/~Sinclair/ALGY399_Site/destruction.html
The following sites catalogue threats to particular ancient sites. Some of them are campaign groups.
Save Stonehenge http://www.savestonehenge.org.uk/
Damage to Avebury http://www.stonehenge-avebury.net/avelatest.html
http://www.heritageaction.org
Iraq and looting http://www.savingantiquities.org/index.php
10.1 The protection of archaeological remains
The MARS project documented the threats to a sample of monuments in England:
http://apollo5.bournemouth.ac.uk/mars/
The key organisations responsible for protecting archaeological
remains — or Heritage Management as it is usually called today — in the
UK are:
English Heritage http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/
CADW (Wales) http://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/
Scottish Heritage http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/
Council for British Archaeology http://www.britarch.ac.uk/
Increasingly there are also moves to protect archaeological sites
and to reduce the trade in looted or stolen antiquities at an
international level. The cultural arm of the United Nations (UNESCO)
has a programme of identifying World Heritage Sites and has attempted
to draw up international standards on excavation etc. UNESCO is at:
http://whc.unesco.org/
Discussion of the Valetta Convention:
http://www.britarch.ac.uk/valletta/
The proposed Heritage Reform Bill (for 2008) is at http://www.helm.org.uk/server/show/nav.11237 and also http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.13381
An impact assessment by the Government is at:
http://www.culture.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/C87DAD10-26E2-4E87-A169-
10.2 Examples of specific sites and their issues
Sutton Hoo http://www.suttonhoo.org/
Nine Ladies Stone Circle http://www.druidnetwork.org/sacredsites/nineladies/index.html
Thornborough Henge http://www.friendsofthornborough.org.uk/
Sites which cover issues related to seabed protection and investigation are:
Doggerland http://zinken.typepad.com/palaeo/2005/02/the_doggerland_.html
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/projects/marine/alsf/seabed_prehistory/index.html
http://www.iaa.bham.ac.uk/research/fieldwork_research_themes/projects
10.3 Stonehenge
Stonehenge is the most iconic ancient site in Britain and also the best known. As a case study on preservation issues versus public interest, poor presentation and archaeology and politics it takes some beating. There is also a wealth of material available online. The official site is http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/stonehenge/
The proposed new visitors centre and transport arrangements are at:
http://www.thestonehengeproject.org/
The following sites include research, campaigns and an account of
the clash in the 1980s between the police and festival-goers close to
the stones.
http://www.stonehenge-avebury.net/
http://www.stonehenge.co.uk/
http://www.britarch.ac.uk/stonehenge/
The Battle of the Beanfield http://tash.gn.apc.org/sh_bean.htm
10.4 The protection of artefacts
In the UK as in many countries, there is legislation in place to protect antiquities.
Portable Antiquities Scheme (UK) http://www.finds.org.uk/
Treasure Act (UK) http://www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts1996/1996024.htm
Metal detecting has traditionally been viewed with suspicion if not
hostility by many archaeologists. More recently, state archaeological
services have begun to work with metal detectorists, particularly to
record finds. This initiative and other aspects of this issue can be
followed up at:
Council for British Archaeology advice http://www.britarch.ac.uk/detecting/index.html
UK Metal-detectorists http://www.ukdetectornet.co.uk/
Metal detecting tours http://www.losttreasure.com/
An overview of metal detecting and archaeology http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/archaeology/excavations_techniques
10.5 Protection through the planning process: PPG16
The most significant change in government treatment of archaeological remains in the last 20 years has been in its guidance to planners in local councils. The original guidance note was PPG16. (PPG15 exists for buildings).
PPG16 is at http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/england/professionals/en/1021020427943.html
It is explained at http://www.compulink.co.uk/~archaeology/gateway/ppghome.htm
Reviews of PPG16 are at http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/parade/np03/scola/ppg16con.htm
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/special/orton-inaugural-2003/sld023.htm
A review of Heritage Protection by the IFA is at:
http://www.archaeologists.net/modules/icontent/inPages/docs/pubs/
Many other government agencies now have their own policies (and case studies) related to archaeology.
Highways Agency (UK) http://www.highways.gov.uk/
Department for Culture, Media and Sport (UK) http://www.culture.gov.uk/default.htm
10.6 Who are the archaeologists?
A forum focused on public participation in the UK is at:
http://www.britarch.ac.uk/participation/
Data on the numbers and types of archaeological investigations in Britain are at:
http://csweb.bournemouth.ac.uk/aip/aipintro.htm
Rescue was formed in the 1960s and was responsible for coordinating
many of the excavations (largely by amateur teams) over the next two
decades where remains were threatened by development:
http://www.rescue-archaeology.freeserve.co.uk/
A journal about what it is really like in field archaeology is produced by the Digger:
http://www.bajr.org/DiggerMagazine/DiggerFrontpage.htm
The role of a finds liaison officer is explained at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/archaeology/excavations_techniques/
10.7 Professional bodies and organisations
Since the 1980s, most excavation is undertaken by professional archaeologists.
The Institute of Field Archaeologists is a body to which many professional archaeologists belong:
http://www.archaeologists.net/
Most archaeology undertaken in advance of development in the UK is undertaken by contracting units. The sites of most archaeological units contain useful (and often extensive) portfolios of excavations, surveys and post-excavation work.
List of UK units http://www.britarch.ac.uk/info/contract.asp
Museum of London http://www.molas.org.uk/
Trent and Peak http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/tpau/
Birmingham http://www.arch-ant.bham.ac.uk/bufau/
WYAS http://www.arch.wyjs.org.uk/aswyas.htm
East Anglia http://www.eaareports.org.uk/
Orkney http://www.orkneydigs.org.uk/
Clwyd Powys Trust http://www.cpat.org.uk/cpat/past/window.htm
Wessex http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/
CPM and EDP are major providers of assessments of the impact of development on archaeology:
http://www.cpm-uk.co.uk/
http://www.edp-uk.co.uk/
10.8 Amateur archaeologists
Amateur archaeology is still important in many parts of the UK although its excavation activities in many areas have largely been taken over by professional units.
Council for Independent Archaeologists http://www.cix.co.uk/~archaeology/cia/index.htm
A local project (Sedgeford, UK) http://www.sharp.org.uk/
Culverwell Mesolithic site http://www.gallica.co.uk/apa/
Public interest in archaeology is very evident on the web. Some of the best links as well as an amazing range of companion images can be followed from the following sites.
http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~aburnham/eng/index.htm
The megalithic map (including Europe) http://www.megalithic.co.uk/mapserv/
The Modern Antiquarian http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/home/
10.9 Other related groups
Museums
Most museums have websites. A list of those in the UK is at:
http://www.museums.co.uk/
The British Museum http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/
There is more on museums in Chapter 7.
Academic study
Antiquarian societies produced some of the first archaeological reports
and pioneered excavation techniques in the nineteenth century. Many
survive as academic institutions, most important for their publications
although they do carry out other activities too. Good examples are:
The Prehistoric Society http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prehistoric/
Society of Antiquaries of Scotland http://www.socantscot.org/
The web has also seen the growth of publications on very specific
academic topics by both amateurs and academics. Some of these provide
excellent case studies, short articles and discussions of debates. Some
of the best are at:
Comparative Archaeology http://www.comp-archaeology.org/
University archaeology
University archaeologists include both professionals and amateurs. They
are responsible for many training excavations as well as much
archaeological research both in terms of excavation, post-excavation
and trying to put discoveries into a wider context. University websites
are listed in Chapter 14 but good examples of university archaeology
are at:
The Stonehenge Riverside Project http://www.shef.ac.uk/archaeology/research/stonehenge
Religious groups
The resurgence in interest in paganism and the growth of New Age
religions has led to increasing numbers of people wanting to use
ancient sites for rituals and demanding that such sites should be
protected in the same way as other places of worship.
Pagans at Avebury http://hometown.aol.co.uk/homemademagick/page7.html