14th September 2011, 03:53 PM
I was on that excavation and we did find some amazing stuff, but before the main excavation there was two or maybe three periods of trenching i was only on the last part of the trench but we found loads of stuff, there was also a standing stone and a three chambered Neolithic tomb with are under the care of CADW. After the trenching we didn't hear anything for ages and most of us local diggers where surprised when the go a head was given for development.
The main excavation was all strip and map and the first week we found a stone built round house village with over a meter high walls when this village was found the site stopped just before Christmas, and we where told we couldn't be given a start date in Jan because it was going to consultation again.
My point is the powers that be had plenty of opportunity to stop the site and not build there they had there own consultants as well as the county archaeologist and the local trust (who carried out the work) advice as well as three seasons of archaeological evaluation and years to think about it.
There is an industrial and shopping estate across the road which already had vacant building and there are areas of Holyhead high street that could have also done with the money, which local people had pointed out to there Assembly member, PM as well as the consultant and developers.
The main archaeological phase stated in 2005 at least 2 years before the credit crunch hit, so there wasn't the big press coverage of cut as there is now,( although there where many cuts happening in rural North Wales) it just wasn't fashionable to talk about it as it is now. This story is complete lazy band jumping on the band wagon, the main excavation went on for nearly two years and apart from some positive story's based on site open days there was no other press, so well done Daily Post reporter really up to date there.
The main excavation was all strip and map and the first week we found a stone built round house village with over a meter high walls when this village was found the site stopped just before Christmas, and we where told we couldn't be given a start date in Jan because it was going to consultation again.
My point is the powers that be had plenty of opportunity to stop the site and not build there they had there own consultants as well as the county archaeologist and the local trust (who carried out the work) advice as well as three seasons of archaeological evaluation and years to think about it.
There is an industrial and shopping estate across the road which already had vacant building and there are areas of Holyhead high street that could have also done with the money, which local people had pointed out to there Assembly member, PM as well as the consultant and developers.
The main archaeological phase stated in 2005 at least 2 years before the credit crunch hit, so there wasn't the big press coverage of cut as there is now,( although there where many cuts happening in rural North Wales) it just wasn't fashionable to talk about it as it is now. This story is complete lazy band jumping on the band wagon, the main excavation went on for nearly two years and apart from some positive story's based on site open days there was no other press, so well done Daily Post reporter really up to date there.
Archaeology is the peeping Tom of the sciences It is the sandbox of men who care not where they are going; they merely want to know where everyone else has been.