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