Just been for a little expedition to Rhosyfelin. It looks as if the diggers, having dug, left in a bit of a hurry this year. It's rather a pity that they left the whole place in such a mess -- with a flimsy plastic sheet held down by a few pebbles. It will be ripped to shreds by the wind and no doubt by all those locals and tourists who will not be able to resist coming to have a look at the "quarry" over the coming months.
Part of me is appalled, and part of me delighted -- since it means that geomorphologists now have a full year in which to take a serious look at this place, and maybe to do some digging of their own......
Perhaps we should have a blog whip round, hire a truck and go and dump the rubbish he's left behind, in Pearson's front garden?
ReplyDeleteMight persuade him of the social importance of clearing up his own mess, and not shitting on other peoples door steps/Environs!
As a life long lover of the outdoors I'm disgusted!
Anyone who shares similar views should write a letter of complaint to his funders and the chancellor of his university!
I'm going to!
It's an incredibly uneven and stony surface under that sheet. What if somebody runs about on it and twists an ankle or breaks a leg? Who would be liable?
ReplyDeleteI don't know what normal practice on digs might be, but I would agree with Alex that it is an extraordinary mess......
I thought the place was private property, therefore anyone breaking an ankle or leg would be liable for their own injuries.
ReplyDeleteIf not invited then keep out.
Yes, it's a private field, but there is a public footpath which runs right next to the dig location, on the valley floor. Nice new gate put in by the National Park, nice new footpath sign, and a nice new layby up the road for visitors to park when they go to look at the dig site. Make no mistake -- the National Park wants people to come and look at it. Gets interesting....
ReplyDeleteTherefore liability for any injury received within the confines of excavation would be attributable to the injured person straying off the public footpath.
ReplyDeleteIf not invited to enter, then best to leave well alone.
I wonder would any insurance company compensate trespassing geomorphologists for an injury sustained while conducting an illegal activity?
Heaven forbid that I should ever suggest that anybody should do anything ILLEGAL! That would never do.
ReplyDeleteDave, you represent......?
Do I sense that you don't actually want anybody to look at this dig site?
Brian,
ReplyDeleteI wasn’t implying that you, or anyone else, would knowingly do anything illegal, but if there were investigations conducted outside the boundaries of the public footpath by un-invited persons, then any information obtained, no matter how important, would prove inadmissible because it had involved both trespass and criminal damage.
Your sixth sense is misleading you, far from excluding qualified and experienced geomorphologists from this site; I believe that a complete examination by such persons should be carried out.
However, this examination should be conducted in conjunction with the long-running archaeological investigation, and not as an ad hoc exercise which could well disprove the quarry theory but at the expense of simultaneously destroying important archaeological evidence.
I am simply an interested spectator and represent no one other than your average blogger.
Quite valid concerns, Dave...... but criminal damage" That's a bit rich! One might argue that what has been done already to this site is criminal damage done with altruistic intent. Geomorphologists are far more sensitive than archaeologists when it comes to looking after the landscape. Of course, I would never consider geomorphological work here without full permissions in place, from the landowner, PCNPA and Natural Resources Wales. I would also assume that MPP and his team would have no objection, on the basis that what they want is the truth. I will part company with you on whether important archaeological evidence might be destroyed if geomorphologists look at this site. Work would be for the most part involve straightforward observation rather than excavation. And I have seen no evidence that there is anything archaeological there which might be destroyed! It's all very well to say that geomorph work should be conducted in connection with the archaeo work. Some of us have been saying that to MPP and his colleagues for four years now, and we have been completely ignored.
ReplyDeleteLet us then agree to disagree on some points, but agree on others.
ReplyDeleteTeam-work is the way forward.