Dear List,
The books and papers mentioned by Robert are of course absolutely essential reading if one is to gain any insight into the Dartmoor reaves and the prehistoric ridgeways of south Devon, each being authoritive works on the subject. To ignore the work already carried out in order to postulate new theories or counter arguments is, I would suggest, naive and inexperienced.
This does not mean to say there is not room for counter arguments, but any such argument must be authoritive with appropriate research and work carried out to identify such work as credible and plausible.
An example is the research and archaeological excavation I have carried out in North Devon with regard to prehistoric ridgeways, and exceptionally deep sunken tracks (up to 10 meters in depth in some places and cut through rock) and associated with mining activities. No documented evidence was available for an explanation as to the use of these tracks, which always led up to the ridgeways, other than local verbal tradition which considered them to be pack-horse routes. To have created tracks of such depth and cut through rock, I felt that Hannibal and a herd of elephants must have traversed these routes backwards and forward for centuries!
Nine years ago I commenced looking for an explanation with a long-term in-depth landscape survey. This led to some excavation to 'test out' some of the theories extrapolated from the survey work. This work is still ongoing, and, as ever, more questions keep arising from the accumulated data. Thorough research is essential, and documentary evidence offering data of work already carried out should be welcomed with open arms.
Kind regards,
Trevor
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