Archived press release

A call to arms

9 March 1996

HUNDREDS OF ARCHAEOLOGISTS TO GATHER AT THE ROUTE OF THE NEWBURY BYPASS TO DEMAND THE PROTECTION OF OUR CULTURAL LANDSCAPES

Donnington Castle Nr Newbury, Berkshire, Saturday 9 March 12:30 PM

Hundreds of archaeologists from all over the UK will gather at Donnington Castle, 500 meters from the Newbury bypass route to create a new political agenda for the preservation of the past.

For the first time, archaeologists will be speaking out publicly against development in a contested landscape - despite the fact that archaeology is funded by it (polluter pays principle [1]).

Due to their working relationship with development, archaeologists, have been gagged' from speaking publicly against schemes like Twyford Down and Newbury that tear the cultural landscape to bits.

Dr Sue Hamilton (Lecturer at UCL) said:

"The invasive destruction and visual impact of major road schemes on the landscape creates a paradox for the archaeologist. Whilst rescue excavations' offer employment, archaeology is also about creating the past in the present. Current developments render the past no longer tangible except as a paper landscape of sites and monuments, jigsawed together from rescue excavation' reports."[2]

Rob Young, chairman of RESCUE (Britich Archaeological Trust)said:

"Today and tomorrow were built on yesterday. The past is the foundation for the future, it is all around us and beneath our feet and it belongs to all of us. It is fragile and cannot be replaced. Unless we act now our past will never be understood." [3]

The proposed road threatens 12 archaeological sites and their settings spanning the Mesolithic (c. 4000 BC) to Romano-British and Medieval.

Speakers Include:

Ronald Hutton Radio Presenter and Professor of History Jenny James Green Party Chair and Archaeologist Julian Thomas World Archaeology Congress John Barrett Lecturer, Sheffield University Rob Young RESCUE (British Archaeological Trust) Martin Brown Assistant County Archaeologist Jan Harding Lecturer, Reading University Tony Juniper Friends of the Earth

[1] Most archaeology is funded by development projects; road schemes, quarrying and supermarket construction. Most archaeological work lies in "rescue excavation" - the salvaging of information before it is destroyed. Archaeological groups compete with each other to tender for such sites in an internal market. In addition excavation is being reduced to inadequate watching briefs (where archaeologists are only present when the development is carried out to try and spot anything important).

[2] Such development-led archaeology concentrates on single sites(such as a Roman villa), but the actual study of archaeology is concerned with the interaction of sites in a landscape. That these landscapes remain intact is essential for future research. The preservation ethic is enshrined in Government planning guidelines(Planning Policy Guideline Note 16; 1990; HMSO).

[3] In the UK, most of our landscapes have been created by thousands of years of human interaction with the natural environment.With current destruction on such a monumental scale, those corners which do remain are packaged as consumer products - tourist and heritage Disneylands'. The more we lose the more precious and untouchable what remains becomes.

[4] The cultural and recreational landscape is an integral part of our sense of identity.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust