Buoyant Bahrain burying grave site heritage

[BAJR Host]

Buoyant Bahrain burying grave site heritage
from the Scotland on Sunday
http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/wor...5662845.jp

Published Date: 20 September 2009
By Michael Slackman in Manama, Bahrain
A GREAT clash of values is taking place in the Persian Gulf, where the intoxicating influence of fabulous oil wealth and globalisation is threatening to overwhelm heritage and tradition.
The small archipelago kingdom of Bahrain is home to the heaviest concentration of graves dating from the Bronze Age found anywhere in the world, but they are now under threat from contemporary needs.

"People are demanding housing, they want development," said Al-Sayed Abdullah Ala'ali, a member of parliament.

This is one of those great valued judgements where heritage and concept of heritage meet and do not co-exist. Do we western powers have a right to say.. no? If thats the case, should they be able to comment on a windfarm in Orkney? or a development next to the Antonine wall?

:face-confused:

The Buri Mounds

[Oxbeast]

Interesting one...These mounds were the subject of a paper at a conference that I was at a couple of years ago. The pressure of development verses the need to preserve heritage is an interesting question, but they ave been progressively levelled over the last 4 decades or so. A Danish archaeologist, Steffen Laursen, has meticulously mapped these mounds from 1959 aerial photographs, taken more or less before Bahrain started recieving tons of cash from oil and gas, and redevelopment started.
http://www.luftark.net/index-filer/Page597.htm
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/mk...2/art00003

At least the bahrainis have spent some of their money on recording what is being destroyed....

[BAJR Host]

WOW! what a project!
You are right.. at least it is being recorded.. but when will it stop!

[YellowPete]

sounds good but to be honest when it comes down to colonialism and neo-colonialism (globaisation), its the same old issues raising their heads but this is where the ground work of individuals within local community projects in the uk have a sence of what would be required to deliver to local needs as opposed to delivering a unrelated experience in a commercial product line.

to be honest i think that the work of hodder and co-on the development of multi-vocality within the catalhoyuk material in conjuction with commercial enterprise of the 'framework' material will mutually provide a basis for exploring and tracking sensitively.

how conciencious and adept we are will determine whatever will be.

xx( :face-rain: :face-huh: