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I'm afraid I don't agree with Paul Belford. I am little unnerved that someone based at English Heritage should be apparently unaware of ongoing debates concerning whether archaeological sites etc. should be considered as 'resources', 'heritage' or whatever, the differences of appreciation of what these terms mean, and indeed international preferences in their use. I'm also surprised -- given EH's growing concern for communities as revealed in its own literature -- at the rather simplistic view of this Sarah reveals. Tara is of course a prehistoric site of international significance. It is also a site of cultural significance to Irish people -- not only the present inhabitants of Eire but others within the island of Ireland, and the Irish diasporan community elsewhere in the UK and across the world. While the legal niceties may in practice limit the formal decision process to Eire, I see no reason for denying the rights of others to have a view and indeed to express it in a way that the Irish authorities can take into consideration. I am happy to concede that these are emotional issues, frequently generating more heat than light, but the fact that people care deeply about these places is also a consideration to be taken into account. There is much more to managing the archaeological heritage than following procedure, as I'm sure Sarah and Paul know very well! (;-)) All best John Dr John Carman Birmingham University Research Fellow and Senior Lecturer in Heritage Valuation Institute of Archaeology and Antiquity Arts Building University of Birmingham Edgbaston Birmingham B15 2TT Tel: +44 (0)121 414 7493 Fax: +44 (0)121 414 3595 Email: [log in to unmask] -----Original Message----- From: Discussion List for Contemporary and Historical Archaeology [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of MAY, Sarah Sent: 09 May 2007 10:39 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Tara, not the Celts, please Hi Matthew, the Irish people are the citizens and residents of Ireland. Its their landscape, and if they want to change it in ways that people living elsewhere don't like - its their choice. The same is true of any country. The international community - a much less well defined term but in this case members of mailing lists like this one and their supporters - should only intervene when there is a breach of international agreements (which there hasn't been) or when a group within a country is being oppressed by another - which isn't alleged either. Most of the people arguing against the current route are academics. Most of the people arguing for it are local residents. Aside from anything else, there are plenty of people in Ireland who are arguing on all sides of this issue, and I don't suspect that they care that much about what people who don't know the intricacies think. All the best Sarah -----Original Message----- From: Matthew Butler [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: 09 May 2007 10:26 To: MAY, Sarah; [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: [CHA] Tara, not the Celts, please Sarah makes some very interesting and worthwhile points. But looking at the way much of the Irish landscape has changed over the last decade - many ghastly and inappropriate new developments - I wonder if we really can have confidence in the Irish "Community" (whatever that may mean) to sort these things out without external pressure...Not that the British "community" has been much better! Matthew Butler ----- Original Message ----- From: "MAY, Sarah" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2007 10:01 AM Subject: Re: [CHA] Tara, not the Celts, please Firstly, the site has been designated a National Monument which is the highest level of protection the Irish Republic affords - the same as for the significant standing monuments in the region. Any further work at the site will be measured - by professional archaeologists of standing and commitment - against benefits both cultural and economic. Secondly, referring to the site as a resource begs the question - what is it a resource for? In this circumstance before the present work the site was not known - so it did not have significance for any living group. Now it is known and has the potential to increase our understanding of a type of site that has been investigated with very interesting results elsewhere. The more investigation, up to and including destruction through excavation the better - in my personal view (note - not the EH view). Thirdly, the issues surrounding the archaeology associated with the M3 are complex and political (mostly small p). The scheme has been through an extraordinarily thorough planning and consultation process in which conflicting interests have been weighed. Amazingly, given the emotions involved there have been no serious allegations of corruption, the arguments are simply that at the end of the process there are still conflicting interests. When you conduct research somewhere its natural and right that you should engage in its politics, and of course when the past of disenfranchised communities is destroyed because they don't have the power to engage in those politics it can be helpful to bring in powerful voices from the international community. But I see no disenfranchised group. Ireland has immensely powerful and well thought out heritage legislation and conducts thorough and high level archaeological research on its development sites, particularly roads. The international community should have confidence in Irish people to sort these issues out themselves. All the best Sarah May -----Original Message----- From: Discussion List for Contemporary and Historical Archaeology [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Charles E. Orser Jr. Sent: 08 May 2007 21:57 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Tara, not the Celts, please It seems to me that the desire to help save the resource far outweighs the semantics. Chuck Orser Distinguished Professor of Anthropology -----Original Message----- From: Discussion List for Contemporary and Historical Archaeology [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Emily J. Weglian Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2007 1:48 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Tara, not the Celts, please Dear Dr. Horning and others, While I am not an expert in Irish Archaeology, my understanding was that the newest site found is likely Iron Age in date. Susan Johnston, my co-author on this letter, has more expertise in this matter, and she pointed out that the new site is just like a structure found at Dun Ailinne, which probably dates to the first few centuries (CE). Given this, the use of the word Celt is not unreasonable, although your desire to avoid the romanticization of the Celts and Celtic identity are certainly valid. However, since the name Celtic means something to non specialists and resonates with many who are also not experts in this field, and given that our intended audience is broad, we hope that you will understand the word choice in the letter. Most sincerely, Emily Weglian On May 8 2007, Horning, Dr A.J. wrote: >While I certainly support the protection of Tara and the cultural >landscape in which it is situated, I am surprised and disappointed to >see that the emotional language of Ireland as the homeland of the >mythical Celt is alive and well even in the halls of American academe. >My understanding of the new site is that it is likely Bronze Age in >date, and as such, certainly interesting and significant but hardly >likely to be 'Celtic', however loosely defined..... > >Audrey Horning (Irish Post-Medieval Archaeology Group, and etc.) > > > >-----Original Message----- >From: Discussion List for Contemporary and Historical Archaeology >[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Emily J. Weglian >Sent: 08 May 2007 17:30 >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: help save Tara! > >Some of you may have heard about the ongoing situation at the site of >Tara, in Ireland. This site is of major importance in Irish prehistory, >having been the focus of ritual activity for 5000 years. In the Iron >Age, it was a major center of ceremonial activity, and one of the places >where kings were made in Celtic Ireland. > >There is more about the site below, but the essence of the situation is >that the Irish government are building a highway through the area, >despite archaeological protest, and in the process a new site of major >importance has been found. Since there is a danger that the roadway will >continue and the site will not be preserved, we are trying to galvanize >archaeological opinion in the U.S. to protest. We are asking you to let >us know if you are willing to have your signature added to the letter >(find below). If so, please send Emily Weglian ([log in to unmask]) >an email with your name and professional affiliation, indicating your >support, and she will send it on to the relevant people. We only have a >short window of opportunity, so we are asking you to please respond by >Wednesday, May 9, at 5:00 EST. > >We will be sending this letter to the Irish Times, the Irish >Independent, the Washington Post, the New York Times, and any Irish >government officials whose addresses we can locate. If you have other >suggestions, please feel free to send those along. > >Please send this on to anyone else you can think of who might be >interested in signing it > >Thanks for your help. > >Susan Johnston, George Washington University Emily Weglian, Cuyahoga >Community College > >p.s. While preparing this, we came across the following story (see the >second letter down). It's only a snippet, and you have to be registered >to read the whole thing, but it should convince this you that is a >serious threat to Ireland's archaeological heritage! > >http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/index.php3?ca=53&issue_id=15602 > > >The letter reads as follows: > >We the undersigned would like to add our voices to those who are >concerned about the recent discovery of an ancient Celtic structure >along the path of the M3 motorway as it passes close to the Hill of >Tara. From the description that has been circulated, it is clearly of >singular importance, documenting the ancient ritual life of the people >who lived around Tara, and also the connections between those people and >others who celebrated in similar structures in Leinster, Ulster, and >Connacht. Not only does it add to the vision of Tara, where people have >been celebrating their lives and burying their dead for 5000 years, but >it also shows how much Ireland was one people, with similar rites >happening throughout the island during all that time. As such, it rivals >places in the New World like Tikal, Monte Alban, Machu Picchu, Pueblo >Bonito, the Great Serpent Mound, Cahokia, or indeed Stonehenge, in both >cultural and spiritual importance. > >The National Roads Authority was told that such sites would be >encountered but seemingly refused to listen, secure in the apparent >knowledge that all could be taken care of with prior survey. But this >site shows that they were wrong. They were told that Tara wasn't just a >site, but a landscape, a complex of monuments that, in combination with >the topography, place names, mythology, and history make this a uniquely >well-preserved place of truly international importance. It will suffer >irrevocable damage if this road continues. It is bitterly ironic that >this landscape has survived to the present due to careful custodianship >in the past, based on thorough-going understanding and sensitivity, and >it seems short-sighted, ill-conceived, and indeed arrogant, to think >that we will be doing less than our predecessors. > >Now is the time to re-think the path of this motorway. Is it really the >only path that it can take? We join Irish archaeologists and the general >public in asking the Irish government to halt what is tantamount to the >destruction of Ireland's archaeological heritage. An archaeological site >of this importance warrants the re-routing of a motorway and some sort >of guarantee for its continued survival in the future. Stop and consider >before you go any further, and destroy what those who came before us had >the wisdom to preserve. > > >Dr. Susan A. Johnston, George Washington University Dr. Emily J. >Weglian, Cuyahoga Community College > >Tara and the M3: background. > >The history of the motorway to be built around it is long and complex: > >http://hilloftara.blogspot.com/2006_12_31_archive.html > >The short version is that, after soliciting opinions from many different >segments of society, the government decided to go ahead with a route >that passes within a kilometer or two of the hill itself. While it >avoids the central part of the site (the Hill of Tara), Tara is actually >part of an extensive ritual complex in a landscape literally packed with >prehistoric features. The following link shows relevant maps: > >http://www.nuigalway.ie/archaeology/Tara_M3.html > > >Most recently, literally 24 hours after beginning construction, a major >site was uncovered: > >http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=218091166&p=zy8x9y87z > >Dr. Conor Newman, an archaeologist at the National University of Ireland >in Galway, gave an interview to NPR in the U.S. where he explains the >significance of the site. You can hear it at: > >http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10011926 > > >There is a significant danger of this site not being preserved, but >instead only recorded, and roadwork will continue. > >-- >Dr. Emily J. Weglian > >-------------------------- >contemp-hist-arch is a list for news and events in contemporary and >historical archaeology, and for announcements relating to the CHAT >conference group. >------- >For email subscription options see: >http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/archives/contemp-hist-arch.html >------- >For CHAT meetings see: >http://www.bris.ac.uk/archanth/events/chat.html >-------------------------- > > Dr. Audrey Horning >Lecturer in Historical Archaeology >School of Archaeology and Ancient History >University of Leicester >University Road >Leicester LE1 7RH >tel. +44 (0)1162522604. > -- Dr. Emily J. Weglian -------------------------- contemp-hist-arch is a list for news and events in contemporary and historical archaeology, and for announcements relating to the CHAT conference group. ------- For email subscription options see: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/archives/contemp-hist-arch.html ------- For CHAT meetings see: http://www.bris.ac.uk/archanth/events/chat.html -------------------------- -------------------------- contemp-hist-arch is a list for news and events in contemporary and historical archaeology, and for announcements relating to the CHAT conference group. ------- For email subscription options see: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/archives/contemp-hist-arch.html ------- For CHAT meetings see: http://www.bris.ac.uk/archanth/events/chat.html -------------------------- ________________________________________________________________________ _________ This e-mail (and any attachments) is confidential and may contain personal views which are not the views of English Heritage unless specifically stated. If you have received it in error, please delete it from your system and notify the sender immediately. Do not use, copy or disclose the information in any way nor act in reliance on it. Any information sent to English Heritage may become publicly available. -------------------------- contemp-hist-arch is a list for news and events in contemporary and historical archaeology, and for announcements relating to the CHAT conference group. ------- For email subscription options see: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/archives/contemp-hist-arch.html ------- For CHAT meetings see: http://www.bris.ac.uk/archanth/events/chat.html -------------------------- -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.467 / Virus Database: 269.6.6/794 - Release Date: 5/8/2007 2:23 PM _________________________________________________________________________________ This e-mail (and any attachments) is confidential and may contain personal views which are not the views of English Heritage unless specifically stated. If you have received it in error, please delete it from your system and notify the sender immediately. Do not use, copy or disclose the information in any way nor act in reliance on it. Any information sent to English Heritage may become publicly available. -------------------------- contemp-hist-arch is a list for news and events in contemporary and historical archaeology, and for announcements relating to the CHAT conference group. ------- For email subscription options see: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/archives/contemp-hist-arch.html ------- For CHAT meetings see: http://www.bris.ac.uk/archanth/events/chat.html -------------------------- -------------------------- contemp-hist-arch is a list for news and events in contemporary and historical archaeology, and for announcements relating to the CHAT conference group. ------- For email subscription options see: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/archives/contemp-hist-arch.html ------- For CHAT meetings see: http://www.bris.ac.uk/archanth/events/chat.html --------------------------