Stonehenge Tunnel Dead (for now)! What Should UK Archaeology Learn? ft Steph Black - WB 5th Aug 2024

[@Archaeos0up]

NB: Edit at 7:20 - 7:30 is Andy giving the context of the Stonehenge Tunnel project being formally cancelled in Parliament. There is no missing content, I moved it forward in the timeline and the cut to Steph should have happened before Andy interjected. As a result, it's an uncharacteristically jarring edit point, but I had horrid earache when editing, so concentration was perhaps lapse. You may not have noticed. However, I wanted to reassure the viewer, again, no content (ie what Andy said next) is missing 👍

[@jamesdecross1035]

My impression with the archaeology and heritage sector is that it is a very upset field, and has been for a long time. The debate is not just conflicted, it is reactionary which makes it contrary, ungrounded and unfounded. It upsets me, for example, to see that the Buildings Act 1984 was used for complaint against something called "Enabled Development" due to the inclusion of 'permitted development'. The Buildings Act was extracted from the Public Health Acts of 1936 and 1961 (which also tells you exactly what the building codes are for), so this was nothing new, yet it was manipulated into the post-war Development vs. Conservation debate. Yet, if you "enhance" a plot of land for nature conservation, that is a development! "Enabled development" was coined in an EH document of 1995, and spoiled the Historic Environment Review and the Heritage Protection Reforms, only being accepted by Government in 2010 Planning Policy Statement, quickly replaced by the NPPF in 2012. It was a false argument, and leaves you thinking that leaders in the sector do need to lear to let go of disputes and move on. The Heritage Reforms failed under this debate, which leaves the sector unfunded and unsupported. Floundering. Yet, 1984 was also the year Geoffrey Wainwright, as head of the Prehistoric Society, attempted to reset the agenda with a series of studies published in the proceedings of that year, delivered here in Norwich (yet its a history nobody know about), which also went on to influenced the MPP, Monuments Protection Programme. He attempted to state the sector's purpose and value. A much better approach.

[@stevenwatsham5973]

It is very difficult to gain experience when starting out in Archaeology!.. Our Bajr books remain unfilled due to lack of opportunities.. I am starting at the University of Leicester this September reading Ancient History and Archaeology.. But I have also had to pay for the course myself to the tune of 20k... I am lucky to have enough money floating around to be able to do it.. But many people do not..

[@Archaeos0up]

Thanks for sharing. I have certainly fallen foul of the unclear and/ or unaffordable pathways to gaining experience in the field. Good luck with and enjoy your course!

[@kavanagharchie]

Great conversation, was bemused myself when I saw Archaeologists signing off on this, makes sense as they potentially stand to gain financially from it, but it leaves a stain on the field.

[@jamesdecross1035]

Sounds like there is a niche in the market there, for a journal which does pay the authors.

[@bencrisp9776]

Incredible insight.

[@1020bear61]

Just a quick note to say I misspoke when I said GB News had dropped archaeologist turned conspiracy theorist Neil Oliver. In fact earlier this year [2024] after a run in with the UK broadcasting regulator Ofcom, during which Ofcom expressed serious concerns about the controversial channel's editorial control over its live output, GB News cut the Neil Oliver Show down from two hours to one and pre-recorded the broadcast version where it was previously broadcast live. The live two hour version now goes out online on a Friday evening, where Ofcom does not have regulatory jurisdiction, with the edited version broadcast in a Sunday evening slot on the regulated channel.

[@stevenwatsham5973]

I think that I misread the room a bit.. lol

[@Archaeos0up]

?

[@rhysdbooth]

Archaeologists against civil engineers t-shirts are🎉 how far off?😂

[@MissDemeanor99]

The woman says the word like too much

[@stephthearchaeologist]

Like really 😮

[@Archaeos0up]

​@@stephthearchaeologistI like this comment :)