The effect of Coronavirus has touched everybody's lives these past couple have weeks. People, families, communities and businesses have all been affected. These are difficult times for everyone. At home, due to her health issues, Dolores is in the high risk category and we are making every effort to isolate and socially distance. Naturally our guided walks and trail running events have had to be deferred. We've been putting in long day's in the 'home office' to offer our clients, participants and friends have a range of options to choose from when things get back to something like normal. The expressions of support from the outdoor community and colleagues is hugely appreciated. It gives us energy and determination ride through these unprecedented times and bring you all great days on the trail and grand adventures in the hills.
Amidst all this, a couple of months ago I began a short online course in archaeology. The aim of this was to increase my knowledge of prehistory, in particular the transition from hunter gatherer to farming, which took place in Britain around 6000 years ago, known as the Neolithic Revolution. It's a period which I find fascinating, in no small part due to passing the Level 3 Bushcraft Leader course with John Ryder at the Woodcraft School a few years ago and more recently leading Bushcraft sessions at The Peak Centre.
Also I see the archaeology course as a way to share a broad range of humanity and science topics with young people at The Peak Centre, and inspire them outside of a traditional classroom environment.
Here is my first marked written assignment, with comments from my course tutor Dr. Morrison and the highlighted test to which she refers.
Archaeology
in Practice – Assignment 1
Assignment
Question 1: Should sites be chosen for excavation because they are being
damaged or because they are well preserved; should small parts of several sites
be excavated for comparison, or should money be spent on finding less
well-understood archaeological sites?
Stuart
Westfield*
Abstract
Rapidly
growing global population is placing increasing demands on land usage through
development and infrastructure projects. At a time when archaeologists have the
most diverse range of analytical tools at their disposal, the associated
workload, costs of excavation and analysis have escalated.
Yet,
a significant proportion of modern excavations remain unpublished years after
completion. Estimates for Britain alone are a shocking 60% (Cherry, 2011) representing
an immense loss to the archaeological community and humanity. Hence, perhaps
the question is not, what should we choose to save, but how do we prioritise
what we can afford to lose?
Dr
Morrison - It is slightly better now, with the rise of digital publishing and
ADS archiving of Grey Literature, but it is still not where it needs to be!
Archaeology
Today
Modern
technology, data and research capability has meant archaeology is nowadays a
slower process, acquiring more samples of materials and requiring lengthy
laboratory time, which inevitably comes at a price.
Systematic
sampling offers a partial solution, especially over large areas where a
representative selection of deposits is sufficient to examine a site’s overall
characteristics (Cherry, 2011). Essentially, excavating less but better (Demoule,
2011).
Most
excavation done today is rescue archaeology where, often, the site will be lost
to a construction project. But, to prioritise rescue archaeology above academic
archaeology brings the danger that continual fire-fighting delivers little by
the way of rigorous analysis or new knowledge.
In the United States, “rescue
archaeology publishes little and contributes little to scientific journals.
Some North American archaeologists consider the results from the greater part
of these excavations as un-useable”
Jean-Paul
Dermoule
The
juxtaposition of archaeology is that while remote, non-invasive and sampling
methods are more cost effective and time efficient on-site. Wood, bone and
textile artefacts can currently only be examined by excavation (Cherry, 2011).
From them we gain a deeper interpretation into human behaviour, culture and
anthropological understanding.
Dr Morrison - Hitting the nail on the head there!
The
Future
Remote
sensing technology of unexcavated sites will eventually reach the same quality
as current high-speed 3D laser scanning of excavated sites. Detailed ‘walk
through’ virtual reality renderings may one day be possible without breaking
ground. For certain sites with identifiable structures this may yield enough
data to satisfy a particular question, thus saving time and funds in
excavation.
However,
for paleolithic sites where evidence is often just a charred hazelnut (Oliver,
2011) or fragment of bone, geophysics is far less effective, open area excavation
is still more appropriate.
Meanwhile,
if properly archived and accessible, aerial photography in various seasons and
crop conditions will continue to indicate areas to be ‘banked’ for future
investigation with emerging technologies. (Williams, 2018) Thus, preserving
in-situ, with a watching brief, to influence and warn of detrimental planning
decisions at an early stage. (ICA, 2014)
In
Conclusion
Ultimately
the decision to excavate will come down to the perceived value of the site with
regards to answering archaeological questions and the potential to provide
fresh evidence, based on prior non-invasive due process.
The
archaeology profession is not alone in the drive to do more with proportionally
less funding. Prioritisation of whether, when and how far to investigate and
choice to excavate is a dilemma which is set to intensify.
This
may not always be the most obvious choice in the public’s perception.
Dr Morrison - Excellent observation!
________________________________________________
*Stuart Westfield BEng(hons) FRGS
________________________________________________
*Stuart Westfield BEng(hons) FRGS
Hayfield,
United Kingdom
email: rangerexped@hotmail.co.uk
Acknowledgements
Alexander
Major, GIS officer, Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park Authority for
sharing experience of developing trends in surveying technology.
References
1 John F Cherry Still not digging
much. Archaeological Dialogues 18 (1) 5–10 Cambridge University Press 2011
2 Jean Paul Demoule We still have to
excavate – but not at any price. Archaeological Dialogues 18 (1) 5–10
Cambridge University Press 2011
3 Neil Oliver A history of ancient
Britain – Series 1 BBC documentary 2011
4 Tim Williams Conservation and
management of archaeological sites – A twenty-year perspective. Getty
Conservation Institute. Spring 2018
5 Institute of Chartered Archaeologists Standard
and guidance for an archaeological watching brief. December 2014
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