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Issue no 31, February 1998

LETTERS

Peat destruction

From Ms R McNeil and Mr N Redhead

Sir: Colin Wells rightly draws attention to a number of processes, other than extraction, that are having a destructive effect on peat bogs (Letters, November). We share his concerns, and hope that current major wetland surveys will tackle the issue.

Dr Wells claims, however, that the relict raised mire at Ashton Moss, Greater Manchester, is ‘about to be completely lost without any challenge from conservationists or archaeologists’. In fact, archaeologists have campaigned since the late 1980s, with a fair degree of success, to secure a programme of archaeological recording at Ashton Moss prior to the construction of the M66 and associated development. There have been five published archaeological and historical studies, four deskbased archaeological assessments, two programmes of archaeological fieldwork, two general palaeoenvironmental studies, two detailed pollen core studies, and analysis of the Ashton Moss skull.

Yours sincerely,
ROBINA MCNEIL
NORMAN REDHEAD
Greater Manchester Archaeological Unit Manchester
28 November

Left-handed tools

From Mr Andrew Sewell

Sir: John Clarke refers to a flint tool for use in the left hand and suggests that this was made for flaying animals (Letters, December). A few years back I picked up two superficially identical Neolithic knife/scrapers half a mile or so apart. One edge on each is ground. It is clear that they are respectively right and left-handed. The intriguing question is whether they were made by one person for customers with different dominant hands, or a popular style made by left and right-handed knappers.

Invited to compare the two, most people soon spot the essential difference. I often pass them round during talks, to stress that our predecessors were much like us: they could also get left or right-handed kitchen scissors.

Yours sincerely,
ANDREW SEWELL
Aldbourne, Wiltshire
7 December

Sir: One approaches Stonehenge, as John Barrett points out (‘Stonehenge, land, sky and the seasons’, November), by walking south-westwards up the Avenue, past the Heel Stone, into the inner sanctum of the horseshoe of five trilithons, to face the largest and most important stones. The axis passes through and beyond, south-west towards the mid-winter sunset.

It is natural today to enter the auditorium of a church, theatre or public building from the rear, and walk towards the vital focus. The priest, actor or politician faces the entrance and the gathering. The point of focus lies opposite the entrance, and did so too at Stonehenge, which was therefore most likely orientated on the setting of the mid-winter sun in the south-west.

This was a time of importance to this agricultural community, denoting the rebirth of the longer growing days. The midwinter sun also influenced the orientation of earlier Neolithic monuments such as Newgrange in Ireland and Maes Howe in Orkney, built perhaps 500 years before Stonehenge. How comforting it is to know that throughout time our ancestors have had the same needs, and that they too enjoyed a mid-winter festival which provides new hope for the future. This important festival is still with us, but we call it Christmas.

Yours sincerely,
CAROL ALLEN
Burton upon Trent
17 November

Cave burials

From Ms Sylvia Beamon

Sir: Cave burials have been discussed (‘In this dark cavern thy burying place’, July), but one point not raised is that some burials may have been seasonal inside caves. This may be the reason why cave burials are uncommon.

If someone died during a very cold period when the land was covered in snow and the earth frozen, it would have made sense to use caves where the soil was easier to dig. It may, of course, be possible to check this by fruit or seasonal seeds, or lack of them.

Yours faithfully,
SYLVIA BEAMON
Royston
14 November

Welsh heritage

From Dr Michael Rees-Jones

Sir: There are signs that the approach to Welsh conservation complained of by David Austin (‘Devolution, castles and Welsh identity,’, November), that it does not reflect Welsh society as a whole, is changing. The Red Dragon of Wales and the cloven Celtic cross of Cadw now fly from the Edwardian castles. In Conwy, Cadw has recently restored Plas Mawr, the 16th century town house of Robert Wynne. Four years ago this was in such a dangerous state that something had to be done – restore or demolish. There are also three small 19th century houses built against the town wall near Porth y Felinone, which Cadw is selling not demolishing.

I note also that the Gwynedd Archaeological Trust has located and partially excavated the maerdrefi of the Princes of Gwynedd, and also the hillfort at Bryn Euryn in Rhos (‘Welsh fort identified as citadel of Dark Age king’, November).

Yours faithfully,
MICHAEL REES- JONES
Colwyn Bay
8 December

Owning the past

From Mr Andrew Selkirk

Sir: Before too many myths spring up concerning my report Who Owns the Past?, which you reviewed recently (‘Blasting away in all directions at once,’, November), may I point out what it actually says?

The main recommendation is that the Government should establish a system of ‘Independent Impact Statements’ (IIS): that before the Government gives out grants, those who apply for the grant should prepare a statement giving details of the independent bodies that will be impacted by the grant, and stating why the work cannot be done by independents. Nobody would deny that there are certain aspects of archaeological work that should be undertaken by the Government, but at present the Government is sponsoring a lot of work that could be done by independents. Government money is increasingly a scarce resource, and spending needs to be targeted carefully, and the IIS would provide the information to enable government money to be concentrated where it is most needed.

The professionals will inevitably knock the report. I hope the amateurs will read it for themselves.

Yours sincerely,
ANDREW SELKIRK
London NW3
24 December

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