Dear All,
That's the trouble with empiricism (or indeed reification), it thinks
that a Monument is some physical thing. It's not: it is an
interpretation. Historical sources, burnt deposits, musket balls,
fields, buildings, etc are all evidence for the interpretation.
I have not suggested we refer to the Great Fire of London as a
"Monument" in speaking about it to the general public, but in a MIDAS
compliant database (using Source - Event - Monument categorisation), it
can only go in a Monuments category, rather than an archaeological
events or documentary source category. The very name itself, i.e.
"Great Fire" is clearly an interpretation (puny in comparison to other
conflagrations in the past!).
Cheers,
Neil
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