Irresponsible archaeology and tourism marketing

I knew it wouldn't take long. Following the publication of the "lost circle" article and the Alice Roberts / MPP double act on the telly, the tourist industry is gearing up to capitalise on all the excitement in the rush to promote the wonders of Britain, post-pandemic lockdown.  With a predicted boom in "staycations" this summer, every part of the UK will be jostling to attract as many tourists as possible, flagging up whatever they can find in the way of "special places" and exciting narratives..........

The National Geographic is quick off the mark, in conjunction with English Heritage:

https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel/2021/03/uk-archaeology
TRAVEL

Seven of the best archaeological sites in the UK

New discoveries surrounding the origins of Stonehenge have piqued the nation’s interest in all things archaeological. Here are seven hands-on destinations to visit to dig a little deeper into the UK’s ancient history.

On Stonehenge specifically:

3. Stonehenge, Wiltshire

There’s always something big being unearthed in Stonehenge country. The latest discovery reveals that the origins of its mysterious bluestones lay in a quarry deep in the Welsh Preseli Hills, and that they first stood in a stone circle that predates Stonehenge, before likely being carried overland to the then developing site on Salisbury Plains.

Try your arm at dragging a massive stone monolith at the site’s smartly curated visitor centre. Or book in advance for a dawn tour of the stone circle itself, before the site opens to the public; led by an expert guide, the tour will get you within look-but-don’t-touch proximity.

Stonehenge country has numerous options for further exploration, including the many archaeological treasures on show at Salisbury Cathedral Museum. And within sight of the stones is the UK’s biggest prehistoric monument, which is around 4,500 years old. Uncovered in 2020, the Neolithic find includes 20 vast holes that suggest the boundaries of an earlier enclosure circle. The site is so large that is contains Durrington Walls, the UK’s largest henge, and Woodhenge too.

This is of course perfectly cynical and irresponsible on the part of EH and the National Geographic, since the evidence for "the bluestone quarry",  proto-Stonehenge and the "vast holes" at Durrington Walls is so shaky as to border on the absurd --  but who cares?  Get the people moving, and get the cash registers ringing....!!

I predict that Visit Wales and the Pembs Coast National Park will be in on the case very shortly as well, and that there will be further breathless documentaries and videos hitting the TV screens before long, filmed on location at Rhosyfelin and Waun Mawn (Carn Goedog is too difficult to get to, so will probably be ignored).  I'm surprised that we haven't had a National Geographic documentary already.

This is what happens when irresponsible archaeology is allowed to run unchecked, and when the "Parker Pearson quest" narrative is used as a part of a commercial promotion exercise.  Far from doing archaeology a service, it will actually do immense harm, as the "lost circle" obsession turns into something best described as a hoax.

There were some interesting lessons about celebrity status, nationalism and integrity in those three TV programmes called "Raiders of the Lost Past" -- but sadly some people and institutions are very slow learners.........