In 2009 archaeologists found 51 decapitated skeletons dating back to the late Saxon period on a construction site in Dorset. Photograph: Dorset County Council/PA
In 2009 archaeologists found 51 decapitated skeletons dating back to the late Saxon period on a construction site in Dorset. Photograph: Dorset County Council/PA
*smiles*...”bunny huggers”
Similarly, some things are worthless, even if they are old.
I have to believe that the economy of today, with the immediacy of bad individual consequences, is at least as important as the historical past. A site like this is likely to stop all construction for decades while archeologists dust, photograph and mark each bone. Then, someone will say it’s a sacred spot and the lawsuits start.
I know a developer who was building on hyper expensive downtown lots that had been first slave quarters, then owned by blacks after the Civil War. At a party he pointed over to adjacent lot where he’d put up a house selling for 1.8 million dollars. He said, “The grader uncovered a bunch of tombstones.” “What did you do,” I asked. “Covered them back up. Then during the next storm I made them disappear.”
Now there was some cool historical past. But had he let it be known, the local hysterical society would have prevented him from building and one failed 1.8 million dollar project can kill a company. The local newspaper likes to involve itself and whip up the black/white issues too, so there would have been protesters if he kept building. (The historical society and the newspaper don’t care if a builder goes bankrupt.)
I recommend that archaeology compromise. With modern technology they should be able to whip in, take radar sightings, build a 3-D map, then rapidly photograph, mark and remove everything. Ultimately, archaeology and our understanding of history will be greatly improved over the old techniques. And, the people of today won’t have to suffer because of what happened many yesterday’s ago.
What happens in 100 years when everywhere we dip a shovel turns up the human past? Do we stop building everything and live like the French, camped in structures that should have been torn down and rebuilt centuries ago?
Regarding my earlier post about how history intruded on the present.
A little hysterical society trivia. I know of a man who owned a house in the hysterical district in Alabama. His house was on the hysterical registry. He wanted to make the house more livable and had an architect draw up plans to hide modern conveniences like air-conditioning behind a wide anti-bellum style porch that would have been period correct for the house. The hysterical society refused, saying it had to remain exactly as it was. So, he studied the rules and there was nothing about what color he could or could not paint it. So, he hired a painter and had it painted hurt-your-eyes purple with big yellow circles. When the society complained, he pointed out the rules. They approved his original proposal and he painted the whole thing Colonial White.
Given that you can’t seem to put up a new building in the UK without hitting an old site, the Tory is right. The developer has to be able to decide if he wants the site investigated, or the archaeologists need to compensate the developer for the disruption of his project.
Here in Phoenix there are tons of apartments that have been built that are empty.
The developers anticipated making themselves money and built more apartments then are needed for the town. I can’t see why there should be so much building all the time, ripping down woods and old areas of town and putting up new square apartments everywhere, so someone can get rich. Let a bunch of foreigners in to that end, sickening.
Personally, I’m with the bunny huggers.
