2013 HA Review of the Year: Part 2

We continue our look at the past year here on the Heritage Journal, highlighting some of the stories we’ve covered.

May

We started the month examining the looming crisis of storage of archaeological finds,  and some of the less pleasant aspects of being a Finds Liaison Officer. On a lighter note, we exposed some of the absurd and sometimes hilarious spam comments we’ve received on the site.

The Caerau story finally concluded but Mynydd y Betws  was still in the news.

We hit the road this month and took drives around the Home Counties  and looked at some Wessex  Hillforts,  the latter inspired by our earlier ‘Guess the Hillfort‘ competition. We also suggested 5  Ideas for School Trips.

June

Midsummer and the Solstice featured strongly this month, with Stonehenge stories and Postcards appropriately to the fore.

A visit to the British Museum left us with feelings of disquiet, and we also discussed some of the technological issues surrounding ‘Preservation by Record‘.

This month we said goodbye to two long-standing institutions, Professor Mick Aston, and the A344 at Stonehenge.

In travels, we highlighted another blogger’s trip to Orkney, and looked back at one of our member’s early memories of visiting his local sites.

July

This month was a cause for some celebration here at the Heritage Journal, as it was our 10th birthday, and as (mostly) unqualified amateurs, we gave a consumer’s view of the value of public engagement. Some aspects of that engagement were highlighted through the month: An opportunity to take part in a geofizz survey in Hertfordshire,  visit a dig at Avebury, and to provide feedback to English Heritage about some experimental archaeology at Sarum.

We took a look at the Vale of Worship in Glamorganshire, and had an update from the Caerau project.

In Ireland, we heard of damage to a ring fort, and the failure of the commercial archaeology model over there. Elsewhere, we once again implored people not to climb on Silbury Hill and pointed out a Russian initiative to increase fines for heritage damage.

August

We started the month looking at the relative punishments for heritage crime, and the reasons for them, before reviewing a couple of particular aspects of the new Planning Guidance for Renewable Energy.

And talking of planning guidance, the possible plight of Oswestry hillfort was brought to our attention this month.

Our stance regarding Ethical Detecting once again drew a storm of abuse, all of which confirms our belief that Ethical Detecting is a good idea!

Out and about, we revisited Mynydd y Betws once more, and paid visits to the Norton Henge dig and to the site of the Staffordshire Hoard.  Our new occasional series of ‘Fascinating Facts‘ also began this month, with a look at Zennor Quoit.

To be concluded tomorrow, in Part 3.

12 Days – Day 6

Trippet Stones, Cornwall

 

 

Trippet Stones – Image Copyright Sandy Gerrard and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.