The boss is having a froth

[Sniffer]

He's been having an archaeological moment. I had some sort of comic rant by email last night. I'll paraphrase his words and keep it clean. It's like a blonde moment, only with slightly longer words.

A village of small houses that may have sheltered the builders of Stonehenge, or people attending festivals there, has been found by archaeologists studying the stone circle. Eight of the houses, with central hearths, have been excavated, and there may be as many as 25 of them, Mike Parker Pearson said yesterday.

Well done, Prof.

With over a hundred years of archaeological education in the UK. With internationally renowned scholars, a very small bit of land called a country, and with a stonking great ancient monument... why is it only now that anyone thinks "Oooh - do you think there might have been some houses near the henges? You know, for workers or worshippers?"

I honestly thought that they would have had a proper look around in the 1920's when they dug up Woodhenge. Failing that, that someone might think in the following 80 odd years to have a look. Why? 'Cos it's basic archaeology, innit?

Considering the basic premise that constructions don't come from nothing, but require people and materials, and that materials had to come from somewhere and that people involved in construction had to live somewhere... shouldn't British archaeology not be so much'celebrating', but looking a bit embarrassed? It's rather like expressing surprise that there's a car park next to a supermarket.

I'm sure there's good reason why this has come about. Nobody wants to take away from the excitement or the glory of the find - but does it strike anyone else that this might indicate that an awful lot gets missed?

I wonder if it's safe to look at my email yet?

- Update: No, he's still ranting.




If I express an opinion, shoot the boss. He's a bad man.

[BAJR Host]

Next people will be coming up with the theaory that we ate food next >>> pah... whatever next.. hold on... do you think that people got buried in graves... thats what these long cuts with bones in them... ))

"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu

[Sparky]

I think MPP has already done that one. Sold well to television. I liked the one about the sun rising and the sun setting. Fantastic discovery. Certainly placed me, as an individual, into wider realm of things.

[mesolithic viking]

Pure conjecture.

Careful, it might be hallucinogEeEe**33nnnn..

[Oxbeast]

I don't think that its pure conjecture that the sun rose and set.

And while the builders of Stonehenge would have had houses, they didn't necessarily need to be in Durrington Walls/Woodhenge region. Indeed, there is no reason to expect to find houses in the immediate area at all. The fact that there is a big settlement near Durrington/Woodhenge would seem to add something to the interpretation of these monuments.

[Sniffer]

Whilst it's true that it's not guaranteed that there would be other structures near the henges, it's equally true that not all supermarkets have car parks. However, he who sits in the lofty turret thinks (my interpretation) that such structures should reasonably have been excluded or found well before now. It's more a question of 'if there are contemporary domestic dwellings in the immediate area of a significant chunk of the visible british archaeological record that remained undiscovered for so long, then what does it indicate about other areas that are presumed explored?'

He sends these out to try and make us understand. I send him Linux manuals for him to understand by way of revenge.

If I express an opinion, shoot the boss. He's a bad man.

[beamo]

There are vast areas of land surrounding Stonehenge / Durrington Walls etc that have never been archaeologically explored and where settlement may exist. On the other hand, perhaps these this is one of those so-called 'sacred areas' where people only visit for special occasions and are not permanently settled.

The most well-explored areas of landscape here are those where major roads have been inserted (Durrington Walls - Wainwright etc) or are proposed (A303 dualling / tunnelling). The Woodhenge excavation was focused only on that monument (as revealed in aerial photos), and the work at Durrington was pretty much confined to the road corridor.

The structures that Parker Pearson and his team have been excavating at Durrington Riverside may be paralleled elsewhere in the vicinity and remain to be found. However, the location of this site is likely to be significant as it is just outside the henge and on a direct route between the river and the monument.


Beamo

[troll]

And the obvious implications for Thornborough are.....
Are we to believe them when we are told that "comprehensive" evaluation will take place as a part of the planning conditions? I think it just goes to show how some archaeologists have made huge careers out of a landscape they know nothing about........:face-huh:

..knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity..(imam ghazali,ayyuhal-walad)

[trowelfodder]

did anyone else see this bit on Richard and Judy a few days age - best description ever! The build up for it was a las vegas style complex for prehistoric one stop feasting...

Love it but unfortunately missed the actual section as my trash telly addiction required me turning to bbc1 for neighbours [:I]

Did anyone else catch it?

[1man1desk]

Posted by Troll:

quote:Are we to believe them when we are told that "comprehensive" evaluation will take place as a part of the planning conditions? I think it just goes to show how some archaeologists have made huge careers out of a landscape they know nothing about........

Just to make a hypothetical point, because I am neutral in this debate - if individuals have made a 'huge career' out of a certain landscape, isn't it quite likely that they have learned something about it as they go along?

However, the original subject of this thread highlights how we can still find big surprises even in the most well-studied archaeological landscapes.

On the point about evaluation, I am a big supporter of evaluation works in principle, but I am also well aware of their severe limitations - especially when looking for small-scale features at low density, which may nevertheless be very important. I am also always a bit uncomfortable with evaluation in response to planning conditions - I generally feel that evaluation should happen before determination of the planning application, except in unusual circumstances.

1man1desk

to let, fully furnished