Review of the Year 2015: Part 2

by Alan S.

We continue our review of 2015, looking back through the Spring and Summer months.

May
A month of change with the split of English Heritage, and a new Chief Executive about to take the reins, a new Culture Secretary who seemed to have a grasp on things. And a recent Historic Environment (Wales) Bill.

Meanwhile, in London, the Council for British Archaeology’s Local Heritage Engagement Network  held a workshop for heritage advocates. Unfortunately we were unable to attend, but by all accounts the event was well received, and has since been successfully repeated in other parts of the country.

Craig Weatherhill from Cornwall was our “Inside the Mind…” subject, and a gorse fire on Carn Brea at Camborne provided a possible opportunity for survey work.

June
With a change of management structure at the Portable Antiquities Scheme, we suggested 10 truths the PAS must make public. RESCUE meanwhile, unveiled a new look and the annual Day of Archaeology gave us an insight into how varied the life of an archaeologist can be.

As the Oswestry battle continued, a similar fight was sadly being lost in the South West, in Bodmin.

We looked at the true definition of Heritage Crime and also peeked “Inside the Mind of…” Steve Hartgroves.

July
More inconsistencies of interpretation of sites in Wales were highlighted, and Sue Brooke returned to Caerau to update us on excavations there since Time Team visited in 2013.

We suggested 11 smartphone apps to help organise a field trip, and gave some thoughts on the decline of the PAS.

On a happier note, we wished a happy birthday to West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village (50 years young) and held our annual Megameet, at Avebury in the rain.

The stone rows at Colvannick and at Sharpitor West were also examined this month.

August
We looked at several ancient sites this month, including the Newport Leper Stone, Tinkinswood burial chamber and British Camp.  We reminisced about the first HA Megameet  and took a look at the Sharpitor NW  stone row in our ongoing series.

Two views of ‘consultation’ were taken, one from Wales,  the other from Shropshire.  And we highlighted three early tests for the new PAS structure. Unsurprisingly, they failed, as evidenced by our ‘myth-peddlers’ piece.

But the big event this month was a full week of questions  about  English  Heritage’s  (mis-)management of Stonehenge.

The year concludes in tomorrow’s installment.