What is a 'so-called Curator'?
Is this a standard/professional term?

Annie Given
NI Sites and Monuments Record
Environment & Heritage Service: Built Heritage
5-33 Hill St
BELFAST BT1 2LA

tel:  028 9054 3013       fax: 028 9054 3111
[log in to unmask]
www.ehsni.gov.uk

-----Original Message-----
From: Andrew Marvell [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 13 May 2002 20:52
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [FISH] Events/Consultations



If a DBA is merely a regurgitation of existing SMR information, then it will
fail to meet the IFA Standard. DBA's satisfying the standard, whether stand
alones or part of a series of interactions with the past within or outside
the planning process (the former including especially ES work) must be seen
as an 'event'. If meeting the standard, I would expect them to at the very
least correct or enhance existing SMR/NMR records if not adding to them. A
consultation with the SMR/NMR or other HEIR is but part of the DBA process.



I am aware that in England it seems that some DBAs are no more than a
'stream of consciousness' re-hash of SMRS occasionally garnished with
'readily-available' secondary records. Bob says stick these in the bin, but
why in the first place are they being accepted by so-called Curators.



Question - are historic landscape characterisation studies (eg in Wales
ASIDHOL exercises) also to be treated as events.



Andy Marvell



-----Original Message-----
From: The Forum for Information Standards in Heritage (FISH)
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Bob Sydes
Sent: 08 May 2002 11:14
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [FISH] Events/Consultations



Hal, apparently not judging by ALGAO's definition.  I know at least one SMR
Officer (come on, own up and explain yourself! :-)) who has been quite
adamant that DBA's should not be classified as an 'event' as they are,
'always poor quality regurgitation's of existing SMR information'.  As I
said earlier, a *proper* DBA should be doing more than that anyway, and if
it isn't?...well, deposit the offending article in the bin I say!

Anyone out there wish to defend the ALGAO position?

Bob



-----Original Message-----
From: Bishop, Hal [ mailto:[log in to unmask]
<mailto:[log in to unmask]> ]
Sent: 08 May 2002 10:52
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [FISH] Events/Consultations



Bob

I entirely agree with you and Matin Newman re. DBAs as events, supported by
the report as the source - whether they lead to reinterpretations, new
monuments or not. The ones I've had done have often been very useful in
clarifying the presence/absence of a monument or in relocating it. This is
especially true of vestigal medieval remains subsumed unrecorded into the
sprawl of my Victorian and later towns. DBAs combined with GIS and raster
layers of early OS maps will again often 'fix' a site. Do not most ALGAO
members who are their own SMR officers think the same?



Hal Bishop
Torbay Council



        -----Original Message-----
        From:   Bob Sydes [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
        Sent:   Wednesday, May 08, 2002 10:14 AM
        To:     [log in to unmask]
        Subject:        Re: [FISH] Events/Consultations

        Interesting Nigel.   Should ALGAO revisit this one?   I for one have

been recording DBA,s as events and have added the term to my HBSMR events
pull down menu.   The better DBA's should be reinterpreting existing
information and can sometimes suggest new sites or monuments and are
therefore archaeological events that lead to interpretations (  monuments).
The worst DBA's...?   Well, we wont go into that.

        Bob

          -----Original Message-----
        From: Nigel Pratt ES [ mailto:[log in to unmask]
<mailto:[log in to unmask]> ]
        Sent: 07 May 2002 12:24
        To: [log in to unmask]
        Subject: Re: [FISH] Events/Consultations



                While I personally agree with Martin, as the current
custodian of the Association for Local Government Archaeological Officers
(ALGAO) Event Types list, I ought to point out that the term Desk Based
Assessment is not included. After some debate ALGAO decided that DBAs were
not events after all.....

                Nigel Pratt
                Essex County Council.



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The views and comments expressed in this email are confidential to the
recipients
and should not be passed on to others without permission. This email message
does
not necessarily express the views of Bath & North East Somerset Council and
should
be considered personal unless there is a specific statement to the contrary.

This footnote also confirms that this email message has been checked for all

known viruses by the MessageLabs Virus Scanning Service.

Making Bath & North East Somerset a better place to Live, Work and Visit.
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