Damage to Priddy Circles

[martinr]

Lifted from Megalithic Portal (posted by TheCaptain - wonder if that is Chris B  ?)

the field containing much of the southern, and perhaps most well preserved of the three main Priddy Circles has indeed been bulldozed and flattened. There are also piles of old building rubble about, which have no doubt been used to fill in the ditches, and much new fencing erected around this field.

Does anyone have any more info?

 

[graham]

Yes

This has been taken up by English Heritage, rightly so, and I expect prosecution to follow. This circle has recently been the subject of archaeological investigations and the report, including, fortunately under the circumstances, a new plan survey of the circle, is in the latest edition of UBSS Proceedings, available from here.

 

[tony from suffolk]

Oh for pity's sake! 

 

[Roger W]

The local Taliban at work, eh?

The blighters who did this ought to be made to fully and completely restore the circle, by hand, and encouraged with bull-whips if they slow down on the job.

 

[ChrisJC]

The local Taliban at work, eh?

The blighters who did this ought to be made to fully and completely restore the circle, by hand, and encouraged with bull-whips if they slow down on the job.

The difficulty presumably is that any archaeology has gone, so a 'restoration' can only ever be a pastiche.

Chris.

 

[droid]

In other words the same as Maes Howe, Midhowe, and any number of other 'restored' sites.

Archeological excavation is de facto destruction of 'archaeology'.

 

[graham]

In other words the same as Maes Howe, Midhowe, and any number of other 'restored' sites.

Archeological excavation is de facto destruction of 'archaeology'.

Which is why the excavations only touched a very small part of the site and fully recorded what was found.

 

[droid]

Excavations touching more than 'a very small part' of the Priddy circles would need more funding than the UBSS could muster, I suspect.

Was any dating material found? Because Tratman never found any.

Restoration of sites where there's no evidence in context is perfectly valid, IMHO.

They should still throw an exceedingly large book at whoever was responsible for this vandalism. Though knowing who was responsible (and I don't mean the digger driver) I doubt that will happen.

 

[Slug]

They should still throw an exceedingly large book at whoever was responsible for this vandalism. Though knowing who was responsible (and I don't mean the digger driver) I doubt that will happen.

Of course not......the fine would be probably no more than an annoyance to the sort of person who could afford to buy the land in the first place.

Besides the law in this country always seems to favour the rich.....I suspect it'll be the digger driver that takes the rap.......as he'll be unlikely to be able to pay for a good lawyer to wriggle him out of it, thus making him the best chance candidate for securing a prosecution.

 

[Peter Burgess]

My sanction for such actions would be wholesale confiscation of land. The person clearly cannot be trusted to look after such places properly. If your child can't look after something valuable properly, you take it away from them!

 

[Peter Burgess]

Even restored sites can play an important part in the landscape. Stonehenge was "restored" in the 20th century. I wonder how many people who visit and treasure the place realise this?

 

[graham]

Excavations touching more than 'a very small part' of the Priddy circles would need more funding than the UBSS could muster, I suspect.

Was any dating material found? Because Tratman never found any.

The work was carried out under the direction of a professional archaeologist who also happens to be a member of UBSS. We published the account.

We still await dates. Material has been submitted but we haven't received the dates & won't be publishing them before next year.

 

[droid]

The work was carried out under the direction of a professional archaeologist who also happens to be a member of UBSS.

That's a given, as it's a Scheduled monument.

I await your dates with interest. A secure date would end an awful lot of speculation as to the age of the circles. Or at least the one the dating material came from.

 

[martinr]

So: how bad is it? How much of the circle has been destroyed?

This image on http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/home suggests it has be totally flattened?

 

[Roger W]

Difficult to tell from a ground-level photo.  You can see these things best from the air.

As ChrisJC says, you can't really reconstruct or rebuild something like this - at best you'll end up with a replica.   

I wonder what drove the landowner to do this?  I gather it's somebody who has recently bought the land.

 

[Peter Burgess]

Well, if you can't restore it to how it was last year, how about making him pay to have it restored to how it was x thousand years ago, as determined by Clever People (bring on Time Team!  ), open up a visitor centre, and all proceeds to English Heritage funds? He would wish he'd never clapped eyes on the place then.

 

[martinr]

More details and good photos on this site:

The Megalithic Portal

Here's one image

This is the devastating view from the southeastern arc of the southern circle, at the boundary of their land, looking westwards into the field by Harptree Lodge. The Circle has gone. The ditch filled in and the bank demolished.

 

[Hunter]

This is an absolute disgrace & beyond belief really.
The persons responsible i.e. landowner & contractor/digger driver, who lets face it could have said 'no', need some meaningful punishment to deter others from this sort of behaviour.
I suggest they are pinned to the floor with antler picks whilst there houses are demolished over them. The rubble could then be covered in soil burial mound style & in several thousand years they would be ancient monuments in their own right!!

 

[Maj]

So: how bad is it? How much of the circle has been destroyed?

Approx 1/3 of the circle that is closest to the road has been levelled.

Now if I was a cynical sort of chap I might even think that the vandals could have budgeted for the potential punitive fine they might receive, and felt it worth it.

But let's wait until the powers to be have carried out a thorough investigation, and see what punishment is dished out.

Maj.

 

[martinr]

Lifted from  Wells Journal

The Wells Journal has been sent this picture clearly showing the extent of the damage. a third of the 4,000-year-old circle has been completely obliterated and land around it cleared.

The Priddy Circles, high on the Mendips, have been a striking feature of the Somerset landscape across five millennia.

The news of the damage to the circles has horrified experts across the country.

The monuments have previously been included on an English Heritage list of scheduled monuments at risk and a spokeswoman said the organisation was aware of the damage and is currently investigating.

She added: "It is a criminal offence to carry out works to a scheduled monument without consent. It is also a criminal offence to intentionally or recklessly destroy or damage a scheduled monument without lawful excuse."

Damage to ancient monuments can result in huge fines, requirements to reinstate and repair the damage or even a prison sentence.

.....................

Somerset's county archaeologist Bob Croft said the Priddy Circles were of international importance.

"We love these kind of things where you are always trying to work out how they were built on what they were used for," he added.

"One problem is many prehistoric sites are in private ownership and often landowners do not realise exactly what they have on their land.

"English Heritage is very keen on putting management plans in place and once we have worked out the situation at Priddy that may be an avenue to pursue.

"But at the moment we are still waiting to see the extent of the damage but deciding what to do next."