24th October 2007, 07:18 PM
Have just checked the definition of "archaeology" in the online Compact Oxford English Dictionary and it is "the study of human history and prehistory through the excavation of sites and the analysis of physical remains".
Hardly as period specific as you would have us believe Dr Wardle.
I don't in any case understand why you suggest that the OED's definition should be one and the same as the legal definition of archaeology. Surely, in the case of PPG16 at any rate, the definition would be decided by Government lawyers, if challenged, not by the editorial panel of the OED?
I'd accept that PPG15 may be applied in some counties by DC archaeologists with a "throw the kitchen sink at it in every case" approach (mind you that works with PPG16 as well), on the other hand PPG15 doesn't seem to have grabbed the attention of local government in some counties in quite the same way as PPG16 - hence the possible confusion.
Personally, I see nothing wrong with recording 20th century buildings - as long as a coherent argument has been made justifying the need to do so. Whether architectural historians should be able to carry out such work as well as buildings archaeologists is surely splitting hairs?
Defence of Britain Project - valuable?
Happiness depends on ourselves.
Hardly as period specific as you would have us believe Dr Wardle.
I don't in any case understand why you suggest that the OED's definition should be one and the same as the legal definition of archaeology. Surely, in the case of PPG16 at any rate, the definition would be decided by Government lawyers, if challenged, not by the editorial panel of the OED?
I'd accept that PPG15 may be applied in some counties by DC archaeologists with a "throw the kitchen sink at it in every case" approach (mind you that works with PPG16 as well), on the other hand PPG15 doesn't seem to have grabbed the attention of local government in some counties in quite the same way as PPG16 - hence the possible confusion.
Personally, I see nothing wrong with recording 20th century buildings - as long as a coherent argument has been made justifying the need to do so. Whether architectural historians should be able to carry out such work as well as buildings archaeologists is surely splitting hairs?
Defence of Britain Project - valuable?
Happiness depends on ourselves.