More Romans in Cornwall?

[Nathan Ross]

[size=150:31v7mmq4]Roman fort found in Cornwall 'rewrites history'[/size]

Although in fact the 'undisclosed location near St Austell' certainly appears to be Restormel, and the fort there was identified back in 2007, with evidence to suggest occupancy from the first to fourth century (A SECOND ROMAN FORT IS CONFIRMED IN CORNWALL). So the 'rewriting of history' was done some time ago :?

Restormel is, however, right on top of a giant iron mine. The hill beneath the site is riddled with tunnels dating back to at least the middle ages.

"It will now be considered whether to excavate the area, or to leave it for a future excavation when techniques have advanced." - not sure what this annoyingly passive comment is supposed to mean. Is somebody now actually 'considering' it, or not?

- Nathan

[mcbishop]

leave it for a future excavation when techniques have advanced." - not sure what this annoyingly passive comment is supposed to mean.

It is the standard b*ll*x definition for 'preservation in situ' (so presumably lifted from a county archaeological service press release), almost as good as the redefinition of excavation as 'mitigation' or 'preservation by record' but nowhere near as funny as the newly minted 'heritage assets' (they're 'monuments', or 'archaeological sites' in old money). Wouldn't it be nice if budgetary cuts led to a 25% cut in pointless jargon?

Mike Bishop

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

So basically, any meta lartifacts will be left in situ' to be destroyed by any chemicals that may be in the soil etc, and of little or no value to anyone for anything once they finally decide it is time? Good thinking.

[Caratacus]

So basically, any metal artifacts will be left 'in situ' to be destroyed by any chemicals that may be in the soil etc, and of little or no value to anyone for anything once they finally decide it is time? Good thinking.

Remember - nothing is for ever! Even stuff that's been dug up and 'stored' in museums will eventually decay/corrode. Oxygen and moisture are everywhere - two of the most reactive chemicals known. Even the best of museums will in the course of time crumble, along with their contents. Something that's been in the soil for a couple of thousand years is likely to have exhausted all the oxygen within spitting distance and will suffer no further damage, or at least will only deteriorate very slowly. Of course, if that situation changes (e.g. by someone going and digging around there) then things will change.

A part of the problem is conservation and what it costs. A couple of years back I visited a 'local' museum to see what they had stored in terms of the lorica segmentata finds (I shan't mention the name of the place, lest some people get offended). Having been used to the way such things are done here in Caerleon, I was shocked to see that the finds were 'stored' in cardboard boxes, on open dexian shelving, in a room that was an ordinary store-room with no temperature or humidity control (and no lock on the door, as far as I could see). Proper storage and conservation, however, is expensive. I would think that the stuff stored as I have described would have been better off left in the ground (unless someone wanted to shove a by-pass through the area, that is).

I have also heard that there are severe problems with the things that have been found at Pompeii/Herculaneum. The sites are so large that the Italian Government cannot afford to conserve everything that is found there. Some of the buildings that have already been exposed are, apparently, crumbling fast.

Jargonese is, I'm afraid, the curse of the modern age (one of them, anyway). I'm not sure if it is meant to make things plainer, more PC, or just restrict the number of people who know what it all means to a small élite group who are 'in'. Maybe it just keeps the people who make it up out of everyone else's way, where they can do no harm and let the real workers get on with things? Sort of equivalent of shoving them into the arena, but less messy!

Mike Thomas

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Yes i am just grumpy.....

But I have seen how modern fertilizer and weedkiller/insecticide accelerates the corrsion on bronze coins, which was pointed out to me by the man who had found them. Only a few years previously, the coin finds from the same fields were almost pristine......Very sad to see.

[Astiryu1]

That makes any Pirate treasure here on the Florida coast for slim pickings. Probably wouldn't even recognize what the currency was by now due to all of the stuff people use on their lawns. At least now there are regulations in place for chemicals. How do these chemicals react on Stone tools? Not to go off topic but we have a Native American Culture called the "Calusa" around here.

[Caratacus]

How do these chemicals react on Stone tools? Not to go off topic but we have a Native American Culture called the "Calusa" around here.

Depends on what stone it is! If it's calcium carbonate in any form (chalk, limestone, marble), then you will have problems with anything that is acidic. You are on safer ground with something like granite. There isn't an awful lot that will touch that stuff. Ditto for flint (silicon dioxide) - pretty resistant to even very corrosive chemicals.

Mike Thomas

[Astiryu1]

Good to Know!