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German Ebay has just introduced new rules on the sale of archaeological artefacts. Anything sold must be accompanied by proper documentation showing the seller's title and proof that it has been properly reported to the authorities.

So when will Ebay UK follow suit? When will the hundreds of thousands of bits of British history be protected from being dug up and sold without trace by people who are too selfish or ignorant or both to acknowledge their duty towards society? We won't hold our breath. Those friends of archaeology and heroes of heritage, the British metal detectorists/Ebay traders absolutely hate the idea (go figure! ) and the authorities, cowed by previous threats of "we won't report anything if you annoy us", are anxious not to upset them.

Shame really. It could be actioned here if there was a will. Far more history would be truly saved by this action than is "saved" by the millions of pounds spent on trying to persuade people to act in a reasonable fashion. Maybe those currently considering the options should bear this in mind....

A story can turn on a stone thrown into a pond , the ripples that it makes forming larger and larger circles and so it is with the saga of a ceremonial event that went very wrong at Castlerigg.

A holistic gathering came together at the circle, a Mayan 'Fire Ceremony' planned event, it would seem that the fire had been meant to happen in a field nearby, sadly this did not happen, and turf was removed from the centre of the circle and a fire lit. Castlerigg Stone Circle is a Scheduled Monument therefore such things as removing turf and lighting fires are illegal, the ceremony was caught on camera and repercussions began to bound round the megalithic world, and I might add, the Pagan world as well who were also outraged at this act of sacrilege at a stone circle.

Acrimonious words, apologising emails, slowly the unravelling story told different aspects, perhaps it is better to let the matter quietly drop, but just to remember that megalithic stones and circles are not just there for the few they are there for everyone, thoughtless acts to sites that have stood for thousands of years deserve our respect and care, they need to be defended.

"ARCHAEOLOGISTS working on excavations for the controversial M3 motorway feared they would be "sacked, blacklisted or bullied out of their profession" for not supporting the building of the chosen route, it was claimed yesterday.

Speaking at a debate on the motorway near Tara at the sixth World Archaeological Congress at UCD, Maggie Ronayne, a lecturer in the department of archaeology at NUI, Galway, said pressure was put on site directors and field teams by archaeologists employed by the National Roads Authority (NRA)."

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/0704/1215110024070.html

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The following article in Public Archaeology, Summer 2008 is a robust overview on the circumstances and the ethical behaviour of the Irish Government in trashing one of Ireland's most sacred monuments. The ancient landscape around Tara is having a motorway driven right through it, though there is fierce opposition from all sides, the government is determined to push through this road over historically significant archaeological monuments just so 20 minutes can be knocked off commuters' time.

The State We're in on the Eve of World; Archaeological Congress (WAC)6; Archaeology in Ireland vs Corporate Takeover by Maggie Ronayne

http://www.savetara.com/statements/PUA7.2_Ronayne.pdf

Muireann Ní Bhrolcháin of Save Tara says:

"This article is a damning indictment of the practices used by the NRA archaeologists. It confirms all the worst fears of those opposed to this ill-conceived project. How can we trust the NRA archaeological reports and what have they hidden from the public?"

Photos to be found here:

http://s168.photobucket.com/albums/u167/muireanntemair/M3%20scar%20240608/

Archaeologists 'used to destroy heritage', conference told...

"ARCHAEOLOGISTS working on excavations for the controversial M3 motorway feared they would be "sacked, blacklisted or bullied out of their profession" for not supporting the building of the chosen route, it was claimed yesterday.

Speaking at a debate on the motorway near Tara at the sixth World Archaeological Congress at UCD, Maggie Ronayne, a lecturer in the department of archaeology at NUI, Galway, said pressure was put on site directors and field teams by archaeologists employed by the National Roads Authority (NRA)."

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/0704/1215110024070.html

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The public are to be consulted on what happens next at Stonehenge it seems.

"People can give feedback on road proposals near Stonehenge and the location of new visitor facilities."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/7482995.stm

"English Heritage Corporate Communications spokesperson Renee Fok said people needed to have a say because of global interest in the site."

Well what a change! Up to the end of last year English Heritage was hell bent on pushing forward a horrible, damaging scheme in the teeth of total opposition from almost every archaeological and conservation body! No sign that THEIR opinion counted for anything.

Let us be charitable though and hope that English Heritage has changed into a sharing caring organisation that puts the welfare of Stonehenge first and it's own interest second. Soon we'll know.

Remember the Rotherwas Ribbon? The prehistoric feature ("Hereford's Stonehenge" said the County Archaeologist) that Hereford Council wanted to drive a road over last year?

You know. The road the government twice said wasn't needed?

Well, the road has just been completed!

http://www.herefordtimes.com/news/3186371.Hereford_access_road_still_to_open/

Someone will be pleased. And richer.

Not that English Heritage will be bothered either way. Last September they could have saved the Ribbon by scheduling it. But they said "It is not expected that a decision on scheduling will be made in the immediate future."

Hmmm. Well it's safe to schedule it now we suppose...

Incidentally, just to add to the utter shame of this whole murky business, ANOTHER feature has just been discovered near to the Ribbon, further reinforcing what a potentially priceless Bronze Age landscape has been wrecked...

http://www.herefordtimes.com/news/3187790.New_archaeological_discovery_at_Rotherwas/

Angry?

You oughta be!

We hear the process of discussing the replacement Stonehenge Visitors' Centre is about to commence. Well, before it gets complicated here's something that can happen NOW and be hugely beneficial - CLOSE DOWN THE FAST FOOD OUTLET!

This ghastly presence at Stonehenge has got to be the all-time tackiest facet of the Stonehenge experience. Why, even now, is it being allowed? Let's ditch it. It's a national disgrace.

The wider debate on roads and the visitor centre is something else. There is absolutely no good reason why this garish garbage dispensary should be allowed to continue (other than to make money for you-know-who) at a World Heritage Site. Let those who look after the World Heritage Site look after it!

See STONEHENGE: £37M LATER AND BACK TO SQUARE ONE for the full story.

A news article was kindly brought to our attention by Victoria Carter:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/isle_of_man/7474949.stm

It is surprising what 'development' reveals to the world.

In this case a new runway exposes a fascinating record of unique funerary and mortuary practices in the Neolithic age on the Isle of Man.

Lets hope that nothing is unnecessarily destroyed to promote the cause of tourism, as the Oxford archaeologists are convinced that this site is of European 'significance'.

Archaeologists have found the remains of a 4000 year old Neolithic settlement site in Wrexham. The land is being quarried by Tarmac who plan to extract 10m tonnes of sand and gravel from the Holt Estate.

Tarmac have agreed to leaving the settlement site free for the archaeologists to excavate, they say, "As a result we have ceased topsoil removal in the immediate vicinity in order to retrieve any further artefacts which may be present". They are also having to pay for the excavation as planning conditions stipulate this.

It can only be hoped that an important site is not destroyed as in the case of the archaeologically rich landscape round the Thornborough Henges which sadly also was quarried by Tarmac with little thought to preserving such an important site.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_east/7471742.stm

Festivals are great things, people get together, celebrate the event , and have fun. But there is always a tiny catch to celebration and that is rubbish - did Stonehenge really need 30,000 people turning up and littering the site so that it looked like the equivalent of your local rubbish dump.

Were they all there for the spectacular rising of the Solstice sun, or did the majority just come along for the party, bringing their 6 packs with them. Take your choice, but is this really the way to treat a World Heritage site, especially Stonehenge and its magnificent stones.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wiltshire/7465235.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/7467239.stm

From a correspondent -

"...there is a terrible sadness that lies at the heart of all this:

Despite the damage that has been done to Silbury over the centuries out of curiosity and the need for treasure, it is now clear that what did lie at Silbury's heart was a small mound surrounded by stones and simple offerings."

Silbury Hill, 1st Feb 2008. Photo credit: Heritage Action

Silbury Hill, 1st Feb 2008. Photo credit: Heritage Action

Close up of the collapsed void. Silbury Hill, 1st Feb 2008. Photo credit: Heritage Action

A significant proportion of Britain's heritage is being shipped abroad without the least record being provided of what it is or where it came from. We object.

Our erosion counter continues to tick away. With each day that passes more and more archaeological artefacts taken from Britain's archaeological record enter private collections, most of them unrecorded. Not all of these consumers of our national heritage live in Britain. In the United States for example are said to be about 200 dealers and about 50 000 collectors of ancient coins

The appetite of this market for material is enormous. One well-documented US collection of ancient coins, of Edward T. Newell is reported to comprise 87 000 items, but (like the majority of portable antiquities on the US market) most of these are of unknown provenance. Of course, the soil of the American continent produces no such coins and in order to continue to expand the market while keeping the prices down, it has to be topped up with ever increasing quantities of freshly excavated material coming from the finite archaeological resources of foreign countries. This presents a problem to those involved since in most 'countries of origin' for this material (in a broad arc from Afghanistan through the Middle East and Mediterranean area to Spain and France) there are policies preventing exploitation of the archaeological record as a source of collectables and restrictions on the export of archaeological artefacts.

US dealers are dismissive of "restrictive and unwise" policies of such countries and refuse to respect them, arguing that they are "repressive" and "unfair" and inherently damaging. They argue that it is US collectors that are best suited to give these portable antiquities a "good home" which would otherwise be denied them, and they have rights guaranteed by their Constitution to buy looted and illegally exploited material, because, "no American law has been broken".

We object to this attitude that history is better in the hands of American collectors than in its country of origin and we particularly object that the principle should be applied to Britain. Yet it is Britain's antiquities that are particularly targeted by this trade since Britain has exceptionally weak legislation protecting its archaeological heritage from exploitation in this manner. In Britain, artefact hunting is not illegal, and objects can be exported in large quantities virtually free of controls. Consequently, our country is a veritable haven for the portable antiquity dealer, both here and abroad.

Not content with this, American dealers claim that Britain should be a pattern to which all other "source countries" should aspire! One collecting advocate who is also a dealer in ancient coins wrote recently
"the UK has the most enlightened antiquities laws in the world and that if other nations were even half as civilized and as wise, there would be no significant looting problems [...] thus, I do not feel any obligation to help enforce what I perceive as unwise and unenforceable restrictive antiquities export laws of source states, always providing that importation of artifacts into the USA is licit under US law [...]."

A recent rally adjacent to an Oxfordshire hill fort attended by 2,000 detectorists. Most British detectorists have never reported any of their finds to the Portable Antiquities Scheme yet American collectors claim that purchasing British finds is fine because we have" the most enlightened antiquities laws in the world" On the contrary, the above mass erosion event could take place in no other country. Britain is the Wild West of conservation and American collectors fuel a significant proportion of the process. It should be stressed that mass erosion is not restricted to the sites of rallies. Ebay is replete with artefacts from all parts of the country offered by individual detectorists (two recently featured on television having removed 7,000 artefacts from a single site) and there are even American and British firms offering all-inclusive "detecting holidays in Britain" catering solely for North American detectorists.

Given that US legislation has no law equivalent to Britain's Dealing in Cultural Objects (Offences) Act 2003 the above dealer is pretty safe in making such a declaration. Anything goes. He also asserts he'd not support smuggling. Another dealer is not so wary. He says that the laws regulating the movement of cultural property between countries are "repressive" and he sees no reason not to support what he calls the "fundamental rights" of those who deliberately ignore them and "refuse to be obligated to enforce the laws of [other] governments [...] when they do not do so in their own countries and/or when those laws go against the principles that are viewed as sacrosanct in the US".

But even in the case of measures to preserve the cultural heritage of Britain, it turns out that even our liberal laws are too much bother to abide by in the scrabble to make a quick buck out of selling off somebody else's archaeological heritage. Not long ago one of the same dealers expressed his belief that once British subjects or concerns get title to an ancient coin, they are "then free to sell it to me without having to get an export license". Reference to MLA guidelines readily reveals that he is misinformed.

He goes on to admit "I have never received an export license with any of the items shipped to me from the UK."

In the light of this apparent confession, we wonder how many of the coins that have passed through his stockrooms have in fact been exported from Britain without any attempt to observe the formalities?

What has been taken by this dealer and fellow US dealers out of Britain without the documentation required by law and now sits unknown in coin geeks' cabinets scattered all over the USA? Shouldn't Britain be reacting more actively to situations like this and instituting the procedures to investigate and bring collaborating offenders to justice?

Five new houses to be built at Avebury

We confess to being completely bemused by the recent decision by Kennet District Council to allow the redevelopment of Bonds Garage which is situated in the Avebury World Heritage Site a short distance to the North of the henge, as reported here

As can be seen, objections to the application were made by a number of prominent bodies including English Heritage, the National Trust, the Avebury Society, the County Council's World Heritage Site and Conservation Officers and ICOMOS-UK (which advises UNESCO on the World Heritage Site).

English Heritage had the power to ask for the Minister to call the application in for further consideration but did not do so. See their statement according to the press here in which they say -

"We are disappointed by Kennet District Council's decision yesterday to approve this low-rise scheme for five homes on a brownfield site 200 metres to the north of Avebury Henge in Wiltshire.

"English Heritage, along with a number of other prominent bodies, objected to these proposals because of the adverse impact they will have on the Avebury world heritage site and Avebury Henge.

"In coming to a decision not to ask the Secretary of State to call the scheme in for a Public Inquiry we took into account both the distance of the proposed development from the Henge and the fact that there are already buildings on the site."

The last statement conflicts with the other two. We do not understand how English Heritage can object to the development yet say there are logical reasons for them to decide not to ask for the Minister to examine the matter.

We think they owe the public an urgent explanation.

If you agree, please contact them - customers@english-heritage.org.uk

Alan S, Site Inspector for Heritage Action, visited the Rollrights on 29th December 2007.

He says:
"I'm sad to report that following the recent fire damage there, some follow-up damage and a further attack have occurred.

1. The King Stone notice, where previously cracked, has now been broken off completely.
2. The King's Men stone which was previously burnt by the tire attack has been significantly chipped on the top.
3. The warden's hut has again been attacked. Cavity Wall foam was sprayed into the collection box, and also into the locks. This subsequently solidified, breaking the locks and rendering the collection box unusable. An oil fire used by the wardens was lit and placed next to a wooden cabinet and a gas cylinder within the hut, with the obvious intention of causing an explosion. In dousing the fire, the fire service had to substantuially damage the floor of the hut, which is currently unusable by the wardens for overnight stays (and which stank of smoke). These attacks apparently occured on the 9th December according to the warden on duty.

More damage at the Rollrights - Photo Credit: Alan S

The police are now willing up increase the charge from one of Arson, to Arson with Intent. However, they have no real leads. The only solution may be to install CCTV cameras at the site, which no one really wants to do.

This damage continues a sad tale of vandalism at the stones over the last few years:

• In 2005, yellow paint was spread over every stone in the circle.
• In 2006, the warden's hut was burnt to the ground in an arson attack. This was subsequently replaced by a Portacabin.
• In 2007, A tire was placed on a stone and burnt, the sign at the King Stone was attacked and the Portacabin was broken in to.
• Now stones have been chipped, the signage damaged further, and the portacabin damaged once again in another arson attack.

What will 2008 bring to this 4000-6000 year old site?"

A statement by Heritage Action:

We are delighted to join with many other concerned bodies such as the National Trust and the Stonehenge Alliance in welcoming the government's announcement that not only have they cancelled the Stonehenge Project and any intention to construct new roads over the World Heritage Site but also that they now favour all the non-damaging improvements which we and many others have been calling for.

The current situation	The proposal

We hope that all parties, including the government, can now work towards this common achievable aim and bring it about speedily.

As for the long and expensive saga that has preceded this satisfactory conclusion, we can do no better than to quote from the statement by Save Stonehenge:

It's an absolute scandal that English Heritage has actively campaigned to bulldoze a dual carriageway through the Stonehenge World Heritage Site for almost a decade. With the Highways Agency, it has squandered millions of pounds of public money designing a wholly inappropriate road scheme that would have wrecked this iconic landscape forever. It's good riddance to the road, but serious questions now have to be asked about why English Heritage was trying to destroy a sizeable chunk of England's heritage."

Now that English Heritage will no longer be leaving a time capsule in Silbury Hill, taking heed it seems of the views of conservators, the spiritual beliefs of others and the words of Lord Avebury who wrote in the The Guardian (19 July 2007) that, "Describing the object as a time capsule means that EH expects it to be retrieved at some future date, requiring further tunnelling..." is it not both desirable and logical that Prof. Atkinson's door, with its S logo, and the lintel above it bearing the date 1968 will now also be removed? In our view these items, along with the time capsule, are no more than messages to the future saying, "Look, we were here, here in 1968 and again in 2008" instead of conserving Silbury to as near as possible its original condition.

We are unconvinced that leaving the door and lintel in place would serve a useful structural role once the tunnel is filled or that they couldn't be removed with minimal disruption. In fact the removal of the door and lintel when conservation at Silbury is complete would ensure that future remedial work would be unnecessary when these items start to degrade. Consequently, for both practical and symbolic reasons we call for the removal of the door and lintel to storage elsewhere thus finally, irrevocably and very visibly "correcting the mistakes of the past."

Following the recent vandalism at the Rollright Stones, a Heritage Action Site Inspector visited the site on last weekend:

I had arrived early, so as to avoid the tourists, and had the circle to myself for all of 5 minutes. I nearly cried when I saw the aftermath of the damage, both in the circle and to the King Stone sign.

At least 4 inches of wood ash surrounded the base of the stone at the right of the entrance to the circle, and the entire top of the stone was blackened, presumably where the tyre was hung and filled with wood. Closer investigation of the ashes turned up wood that had not been fully burnt, and I was horrified to find that these remains suggested that pre-worked kindling had been used to set the fire, suggesting that this was not a spur of the moment thing, but an act that had been carefully planned.

Fire Damage at the Rollrights - Photo Credit: Alan S

Across the way, the cast iron sign by the King Stone had also been attacked, looking like it had been set to with a gemmy bar, as the iron was split and buckled.

I have tried to understand the mindset of people who would do such a pointless thing. I have failed. Maybe it was because there was only £7 in the collection box that they also raided?

Luckily, it looks as if the Whispering Knights were left alone.

In response to this latest attack, Claire Gourlay, a spokesman for Thames Valley Police, said:

"We are investigating this attack and an officer has visited the site to assess the potential benefit of scenes-of-crime officers attending to gather forensic evidence."

Anyone with any information is urged to contact the Police on 08458 505505

The Rollrights still stand, but for how much longer? Anecdotal evidence points to the fired stone being cracked around its circumference, and thus in danger of further damage. Something has to be done to stop these attacks, before someone does irreversible damage to this ancient monument. In response to this latest act of vandalism, George Lambrick, chairman of the Rollright Trust charity, has said:

"We are considering installing some kind of CCTV system here to deter further attacks."

It's a sorry state of affairs when a Scheduled Ancient Monument has to be protected in this way, and a sad indictment of what we are becoming as a society. Heritage Action hopes that the vandals are brought to justice, and that the good work of the Rollright Trust is not compromised by arguments over who pays to secure the site.

Where? Throughout the world? Eastern Europe? Iraq?

No, in Britain!

On Friday September 14th, the Heritage Action Artefact Counter will tick to the figure of ten million, being a conservative estimate of the number of recordable artefacts removed from our fields and scuttled home with or flogged by metal detectorists, the vast majority without a word to anyone else.

This is not heritage protection. In fact it is uncivilised behaviour towards heritage and it doesn't happen anywhere else in the world.

IT'S TIME TO CALL TIME ON THE EROSION!

So it's confirmed!
Hereford Council is to drive a road over a prehistoric monument that their advisors have told them is uniquely important in both Europe and the world. How come? Well, the short answer is because they want to. Actually, the short precise answer is because someone is going to make loads of dosh out of it and they want them to.

It is to be fervently hoped that the environment scrutiny committee will call this outrageous decision in for forensic examination. Never did a decision warrant it more.

Suprising?
Hardly. Anyone that has watched this hurried saga will have realised the road was going to be built, come what may. The Council has been pushing ahead despite the Government repeatedly telling them it was neither needed nor value for money. Confusion surrounds when they first knew the Ribbon lay on the route and why it was the media that first broke the story of its vital importance. And of course, the fact it was left without drainage ditches and covers so that it was flooded and damaged in the recent storms is a reality for all to see.

The Council still haven't revealed whether they know if it stretches a very long way, (but the fact that there's no talk of diverting the road is a clue! ) We have heard whispers it does. We predict it will be confirmed once the road is built.

But surely, national action can be taken to stop local vandalism?
Of course! We have a national protection scheme for nationally important archaeology. Britain isn't a banana republic after all! We have English Heritage, our national and international champion for heritage (so it says on its website).That's OK then.

But hang on, what's this English Heritage say about the Ribbon?
"There have been calls for English Heritage to 'stop the road'. We are not in a position to pass judgement on whether the planned road should go ahead.
English Heritage has received a number of requests to schedule the site. We are considering whether it meets the legal tests and criteria for scheduling, however, further analysis and interpretation of the site and the surrounding area will be required before a recommendation is made to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. This analysis will take some time and it is not expected that a decision on scheduling will be made in the immediate future.

"Not in a position to stop the road"?
Really? But able to schedule the Ribbon, and thereby render it untouchable? So in what way is English Heritage not in a position to stop the road? In No way, we suggest.

And what about this?
"It is not expected that a decision on scheduling will be made in the immediate future."
We thought emergency scheduling could be done in no time at all, and has been. But not here, it seems. Which means, of course, Hereford Council are free to let the road go ahead in the meantime, and THEN it will be scheduled! Loot accompli!

So, there we are.
We have a unique monument, stretching (we suspect) from high on the "sacred" Dinedor Hill, out across the fields to who yet knows what or how far. It offers a stunning opportunity for the people of Hereford and Britain to interact with our ancient ancestors in a way unique in the world - the ability to walk the very route of an extraordinary four thousand year old spirit path, long, sinuous and mysterious, uninterrupted from its start to its end.

Yet this chance to touch the essence of our spiritual past in a way that doesn't exist elsewhere is to be snatched away forever, within months of its discovery. Soon, anyone walking the Ribbon will only be able to go so far before leaving it to cross a miserable twenty-first century road serving a miserable twenty-first century industrial estate that no-one but certain people wants. There are ceremonial avenues at Stonehenge and Avebury, bisected by roads in each case. Not so at Hereford! But soon.

Welcome to Britain and Hereford, banana republic, where guardianship is a matter of mere words, money wins and world heritage gets trashed.

Hereford Council has had the neck to announce its decision to build its road over the Ribbon is a win-win solution. Not for the Ribbon it isn't, nor for anyone that cares for national or international culture. From where we're standing, as plain ordinary people, the whole Rotherwas saga stinks, as posterity will forever know. And that includes those that are hoping to come out of it smelling of roses!

• HA pages on the heritage protection system
• Environment agency press release

Police in Orkney are looking for those responsible for defacing stones at the Neolithic village of Skara Brae. The culprit daubed several inane and stupid words on the stone dresser and on the stone bedposts that still exist in the houses. Fortunately he foolishly left his name as well, and as his number plate was also noted it is very doubtful that he will get away with this crime.

Mary Dunnett of Historic Scotland said: "Someone has come in and gone into house one, which is one of the best houses in Skara Brae, they've put a marker pen on a dresser and they've also written their name, put a smiley face and the date on one of the bedposts so its quite prominent. I'd imagine it will cost a lot of money to remove this without damaging the stone too much"

A specialist team at Historic Scotland's conservation centre in Edinburgh are looking at the best method of removing the graffiti at the earliest opportunity.

The defacing of ancient monuments with mindless graffiti is a stupid and useless act, and a CID spokesman in Orkney said that they were looking for the six occupants of a Silver Hyundai Matrix, registration number LT56 CZJ. The name scrawled across the stone is Brian Finlay.

The beautiful 5000 year old stone village of Skara Brae can be found at the following link:

http://www.orkneyjar.com/history/skarabrae/

A lot has already been said about the sacred aspects of this site, all of which I respect, having seen this figure as a part of my own practice of Paganism for a long time.

I will, however, confine myself mainly to the archaeological aspects of what happened on the 1st and 2nd of July 2007. The Sussex Archaeological Society, as they were at pains to point out, have been the owners and custodians of the Long Man of Wilmington since 1925. As far as I am aware at no time since then have they made any decision with regard to its maintenance that has caused controversy such as has happened recently, any offence as a result of which they have now apologised for.

The replacement of the Victorian bricks with concrete blocks in 1969 was cause for some concern, but are now accepted fairly widely as the way in which the figure is kept visible. They are repainted about every 5 years, at which time 15 people are permitted on the figure for the relatively short time that it takes to do this. Groups are also allowed on the figure in order to clean the blocks from time to time and authorised personnel inspect it for damage.

Apart from the grazing by livestock there should be no other reason to go on the figure whatsoever.

The circumstances surrounding permission being given to ITV to film 80 women transforming the Long Man into a "Long Woman", for a programme hosted by Trinny and Susannah, have a certain mysterious element. We think that the plan, all along, was to film on the Long Man figure itself. Yet in the weeks leading up to the event the impression was given to many that they would not be on the actual figure. There was an apparent change of plan due to the weather, but we have been unable to obtain any details.

The suspicion has to be mentioned that all of this was an attempt to blindside those who the organisers knew would be angered by this event. It nearly worked. Having known of the event for weeks, we had practically no time at all to organise our protests and, considering this fact, we are justified in being relieved at what we have been able to achieve.

So then, to the events on Windover Hill itself. On Sunday 1st July Pagans turned up at the Long Man to find the figure covered in people rehearsing for the actual filming the next day. As far as we are aware there was no archaeological supervision of what was happening at all. When the women came off the figure for lunch, and at the end of the day's rehearsal, we let them know, in no uncertain terms, that they should not be on the figure. Their responses in the afternoon were very telling.

It was depressingly clear that during lunch they had been reassured by the film-crew that it was fine for them to be on the figure. The phrases that kept cropping up were "We've got permission", "It's only concrete blocks" and "What archaeology?" In order to complete filming it seems that the film-crew had completely misrepresented the nature of the site to them, possibly out of their own actual ignorance, possibly deliberately. One member of the film-crew's response to my pointing out the damage they could be causing was "Makes good television though doesn't it?" In a conversation with one of the researchers I was reassured that the women were "not on the figure itself". As this was said I could clearly see women lying next to and on the concrete blocks. The definition of "on the figure itself" seems to have been being used in the loosest possible sense and was, in any case, incorrect.

Later, when the photographs we had taken of the figure were inspected, the close-ups revealed that the positions the women were to take up on the figure had been marked by green sticks being stuck into the ground next to the concrete blocks, in other words, presumably, the most archaeologically sensitive areas. As far as I know this was done without a Scheduled Monument Consent.

The next day, Monday 2nd July, the protest started at 10:00am. This time had been pure guesswork on our part, but turned out to be the right time to turn up. Present at the protest were members of the Anderida Druid Gorsedd and Anderida Grove, Ashdown Grove and Avronelle Seed Group, as well as the Insular Order of Druids. Elsewhere other Druids were doing the invaluable work of phoning and e-mailing the media and relevant organisations. In this sense they were just as much present as everyone else, in an altogether less glamorous role. The women turned up shortly afterwards, this time dressed in white hooded boiler suits as these would ensure they showed up on camera. The protestors had leaflets to give out to the women, explaining our perspective on what they were doing, but they had been told not to take them. Two did and I know of one who apologised and said that she "had to" take part. Such is the power of television.

I was unable to be present until mid-afternoon, due to work, but arrived just as the women went up onto the Long Man. Prior to this, protestors had been giving interviews to the media and debating their point of view with the film crew and, of course, Trinny and Susannah. Crucially, during the day I had managed to talk to the Chief Executive Officer of the SAS and had passed on the information that sticks were being stuck into the ground on the figure, having had this independently confirmed by another protestor. To their credit, the CEO seems to have immediately phoned the Site Manager who ordered that the sticks be removed.

The event continued, with the women having also now been told, it seems, not to lie on the concrete blocks that protect the underlying archaeology (some of it at least). As they came off the hill those Druids present turned our backs on them in a line in a silent demonstration of our disgust at what they had done.

I care passionately about the Long Man of Wilmington. I have been walking in that area for many years and have read widely on the archaeology and history of the figure, which may well be a modern interpretation of a figure that has been in that space, on and off, for a very long time indeed. One of the largest Bronze Age round barrows in East Sussex lies directly above the space in which the Long Man lies, and the largest Neolithic Long Barrow in Sussex lies only a few yards away from that, practically equal in length to the space the Long Man now occupies and pointing directly at the top of the same space. These facts do not prove an ancient origin for the figure, but they must give pause for thought to anyone with a serious interest in our ancient heritage.

If the resulting footage of this event is broadcast, not only will it provide offence to many on religious, archaeological and heritage grounds, but I believe it will also encourage others to trespass on highly sensitive ground that is vulnerable to soil erosion.

The petition to stop the broadcast is here:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Longmanabuse/

London Weekend Television are the company:
http://www.itv.com/page.asp?partid=5

"Trinny and Susannah Undress" is the programme:
http://www.itv.com/page.asp?partid=6605

Littlewoods Direct are the sponsors:
http://www.littlewoodsdirect.com/rf/lxd/na...redirectTo=home

And this is the Trinny and Susannah forum:
http://community.itv.com/forumdisplay.php?f=2

Fans of the dodgy, dubious and dreadful might care to take a look at what's going on in the genteel city of Hereford just now, regarding the Rotherwas Ribbon (or Dinedor Serpent as it started off as, until it was realised that name had attracted worldwide interest).

That it is a spectacular find, nationally and internationally important, is inarguable. A length of Bronze Age ritual trackway, domed, serpent-like, undulating and winding, clad in burnt stone, originally flanked by large timber posts, leading who knows where and for how far? between a putative sacred hill and a river. Oh Hereford, you already have the Mappa Mundi, you have no right to have the good fortune to have this as well!

Judging by the initial reactions of the County Archaeologist, its significance is well understood. He was like a dog with two tails and clearly knew this was a once in five lifetimes discovery, extraordinarily exciting for both him and the city. And yet, something very strange has now happened. Suddenly, his snake has gone limp. A council official has described his initial comparison with Stonehenge as "unfortunate". The possibility of a tourism dividend is being downplayed. No efforts are being made to temporarily protect it from deterioration during the present exceptional weather. (Whaaaat?! )

So what IS going on?

We don't know. In fact no-one knows anything. It was first discovered back in April and was announced through the media in July. English Heritage seem to have not visited it until then. So who knew what, and when? Was the County Archaeologist's news, and his boundless enthusiasm, transmitted to members of the council in April, May or June? No council members seem to be saying so, in fact the first any of them seem to have known about it was on the Radio 4 Today programme in July! So did ANYONE in the council know about it? Surely some members did. So how come they haven't come forward and said so?

Perspicacious readers will have twigged that there's a road on the horizon. In fact, its more than on the horizon, it's about to go straight over the Serpent. It's a funny road, very controversial as a Google search will reveal, intended to supply access to an industrial estate that already has access, together with the possibility of enabling executive houses to be built. It's a road that seems to defy all setbacks, including THREE rejections for funding by governments, both Labour and Conservative, on the grounds it isn't worth doing, PLUS a rejection by a Planning Enquiry for both economic and environmental reasons that the Council voted to ignore! We're talking persistence on the scale of a Jack Russell terrier with lockjaw hanging on to a juicy bone here.

So clearly, the serpent is viewed as a bit of a nuisance by some, to put it mildly. Should Hereford cherish a four thousand year-old monument or have a road the government thinks is useless? Hmmm, tough call. But never let it be said the council aren't resourceful. Here's the plan. Build the road OVER the monument and announce to the Hereford public the monument is so delicate that this is in it's best interest and best practice, as it will enable their great great great great grandchildren to enjoy it once the road is no longer required. Spiffing!

Well, we have a message for Hereford Council. You stick to politics and street cleaning. Let the archaeological community determine how nationally and internationally important monuments are best preserved. And that includes not pressurising those archaeologists that you employ who give every appearance to us of having to keep to your line but to be very uncomfortable and embarrassed about it.

For your information, monuments can be protected in loads of ways (and miles cheaper and more effectively) than by covering them with a ruddy road and they are, every day. Get yourselves a book on the subject before you presume to tell your council taxpayers you are doing what's best for their city's heritage. Oh, and while you're at it, please desist from telling them there's no tourism dividend to be obtained from the serpent, even if it's mostly buried. There is. And the longer it is found to be, the more there'll be. Do you know how long it is? 'Course you don't (or DO you? )

We suggest you adopt the following strategy towards the Serpent:

First, temporarily protect it from the weather, in accordance with normal practice. Do it now. Do it yesterday. Have you heard of a Duty of Care? Get a cover over it and dig a trench to stop floodwater going over it. Jeez. We thought you were wanting to save it. Watching it deteriorate and then saying the road would prevent that process won't wash. Only floodwater washes, see? You can stop it deteriorating NOW.

Second, commission an investigation into how far it goes and what its true nature is. How can anyone, including you and English Heritage, make decisions about something without knowing what the something is? (By the way, make sure those who are fighting for it are allowed to have their OWN consultant involved. That's called democracy, transparency, inclusivity. You know the sort of guff. We bet your documents are full of such aspirations.)

Third, when all that there is to be known is known, butt out. Leave the decision to the professionals, both in-house and further afield. And no pressure or lobbying on the quiet. A lot of eyes are now on you and the Serpent, let the Serpent be the only snakey feature in Hereford.

Readers can keep up to date with this slithery tale and let Hereford Council know what the world thinks on the Rotherwas Ribbon Campaign website http://www.rotherwasribbon.com/

Please note this article is free for reproduction in full elsewhere subject to: Credit, Heritage Action, www.heritageaction.org.