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I do need to remind Mike that archaeology is the study of past human activity. It is therefore not possible to record or study the physical remains of mining without “doing archaeology”. In my experience many people only think of archaeology in terms of very detailed survey work or excavation. When you actually point out that even the most basic photographic record or sketch survey that they might have done is also archaeology they become much more open to the concept of archaeological recording and interpretation. My own approach to developing recording methodologies has always to keep it simple and accessible to all. There are not enough archaeologists with the knowledge and skills to record and understand mining sites and landscapes therefore we need the contribution of volunteers and enthusiasts, but that requires simple methods that produce useful information in a useful and accessible format. The approach to recording mining sites adopted by organisations such as English Heritage and Cornwall Archaeology Unit is often to produce very detailed earthwork surveys. While these are fine to provide a record of a site, for example for management purposes, they are not always the most suitable tool for interpretation and non specialists can find them difficult to understand, although I would disagree with Mike’s suggestion that a contour survey is better than a hachured earthwork survey. It is very important that copies of work are deposited in the HER’s and if at all possible published. Any form of record is better than no record and most county archaeologists or their equivalent will gratefully accept material. It is also important to remember that HER’s are also publicly accessible archives and they can be a very useful research resource and worth checking before beginning any fieldwork just in case a site has already been recorded. Mike’s suggestion that rather than using GIS, why not use overlay tracings? Well there are many reasons such as the fact that you have to redraw the whole plot if you need to make corrections or alterations. This is much easier in a GIS environment where map layers can be just edited. What Mike did with tracing overlays was actually GIS before GIS had been even thought of. A big advantage of GIS is that it allows different types of data to be integrated such as maps, text documents and photographs. On the down side it is only as good as the information that is entered and the adage rubbish in - rubbish out is certainly true. Up north we also have individuals who operate like a secret society and keep information to themselves. In the long run by taking this approach they make no real input into mining history and although they often like to state an opinion and are considered as experts by some, they are not and can often present the rest of us in a poor light. As Peter has suggested it is important to consider both archaeological and documentary records and to look at the bigger picture, which can include how mining relates to the wider landscape, or to population, economic history, and other activities such as agriculture. It is time to take the blinkers off. As far as priorities for research I would agree that we need to pay far more attention to 20th century sites. These are disappearing as quickly as the people who worked on them. I would however also say that we need to look at earlier mining as well. Not just prehistoric, which has received attention but also medieval and the transition through to the 19th century, which is currently a bit of a black hole in terms of published work combining a historical and archaeological approach. Trevor I would be pleased to have a look at your Combe Martin work. It is nice to be asked to look at something before it is published and to be given the opportunity to make comments. If more authors took this approach we might be able to move the subject forward rather than just churning out the same old misunderstandings. By the way Mike on most archaeological digs if you were caught using a brush you would have your hands cut off. Martin Roe President, Northen Mine Research Society, nmrs.co.uk Conservation Officer NAMHO, National Association of Mining History Organisations, http://www.namho.org Lead Mining in the Yorkshire Dales, http://www.martinroe.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk Meerstone Archaeological Consultancy http://www.martinroe.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/meerstone.htm