Archaeological remains are irreplaceable. They are evidence -
for prehistoric periods, the only evidence - of the past
development of our civilization.
Today's archaeological landscape is the product of human
activity over thousands of years. It ranges through settlements and
remains of every period, from the camps of the early hunter
gatherers 400,000 years ago to remains of early 20th century
activities. It includes places of worship, defence installations,
burial grounds, farms and fields, and sites of manufacture.
These remains vary enormously in their state of preservation and
in the extent of their appeal to the public. "Upstanding" remains
are familiar enough - the great stone circles, the castle and abbey
ruins of the Middle Ages or abandoned coastal defence systems. But
less obvious archaeological remains, such as ancient settlements
and field systems, are also to be found across large parts of the
country. Some prehistoric sites in wetland areas contain important
wood and organic remains. Many buildings in older towns lie on top
of Roman, Anglo-Saxon or medieval structures.
Archaeological remains should be seen as a finite and
non-renewable resource, in many cases highly fragile and vulnerable
to damage and destruction. Appropriate management is therefore
essential to ensure that they survive in good condition. In
particular, care must be taken to ensure that archaeological
remains are not needlessly or thoughtlessly destroyed. They can
contain irreplaceable information about our past and the potential
for an increase in future knowledge. They are part of our sense of
national identity and are valuable both for their own sake and for
their role in education, leisure and tourism.
The present century has been a period of striking environmental
change. Some changes, like the erosion of coastal areas, have
occurred naturally. But much archaeological heritage has been
destroyed by human activity - for example, by modern construction
methods in urban development and expansion of the road network, by
modern agricultural techniques (in particular deep ploughing or
drainage of wetlands), and by mineral extraction.
With the many demands of modern society, it is not always
feasible to save all archaeological remains. The key question is
where and how to strike the right balance. Where nationally
important archaeological remains, whether scheduled or not, and
their settings, are affected by proposed development there should
be a presumption in favour of their physical preservation. Cases
involving archaeological remains of lesser importance will not
always be so clear cut and planning authorities will need to weigh
the relative importance of archaeology against other factors
including the need for the proposed development. Regardless of the
circumstances, taking decisions is much easier if any
archaeological aspects of a development site can be considered
early on in the planning and development control process.
Archaeological records for England currently contain around
600,000 sites and monuments. Some 13,000 nationally important cases
enjoy special protection as "scheduled monuments", under the
Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. English
Heritage have embarked on a survey programme which is expected to
result in significant additional numbers being given this statutory
protection.
Scheduling archaeological remains ensures that the case for
preservation is fully considered given any proposals for
development or other work which might damage the monument. The
planning system is equally in a position to consider the
desirability of preserving archaeological remains. Much can be
achieved within the wider planning process when developers are
prepared to enter into discussions with archaeologists and consider
fully the needs of archaeology. This voluntary approach to
considering the needs of archaeology is a well-established and
growing practice and has been formalized in Codes of Practice by
the British Archaeologists' and Developers' Liaison Group (BADLG),
and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Code for Mineral
Operators.
Confederation of British
Industry (CBI) Code for Mineral Operators
Archaeological issues are often important in minerals planning,
particularly in the extraction of sand and gravel. River valleys
have provided an attractive place for man to settle but at the same
time these areas often contain valuable sand and gravel resources.
Minerals can clearly only be worked where they are found so they
often differ from other forms of development in that there is not
the same flexibility of choice of location. The CBI's revised Code
of Practice for Mineral Operators on archaeological investigations
provides advice on how minerals operators should consult
archaeological interests in formulating planning applications, to
ensure that archaeological factors are fully taken into account in
the planning decision process.
The key to informed and reasonable planning decisions, as
emphasised in paragraphs 19 and 20, is for consideration to be
given early, before formal planning applications are made, to the
question whether archaeological remains exist on a site where
development is planned and the implications for the development
proposal. When important remains are known to exist or when
archaeologists have good reason to believe that important remains
exist, developers will be able to help by preparing sympathetic
designs using, for example, foundations which avoid disturbing the
remains altogether or minimise damage by raising ground levels
under a proposed new structure, or by the careful siting of
landscaped or open areas. There are techniques available for
sealing archaeological remains underneath buildings or landscaping,
thus securing their preservation for the future even though they
remain inaccessible for the time being.
If physical preservation in situ is not feasible, an
archaeological excavation for the purposes of 'preservation by
record', may be an acceptable alternative. From the archaeological
point of view this should be regarded as a second best option. The
science of archaeology is developing rapidly. Excavation means the
total destruction of evidence (apart from removable artefacts) from
which future techniques could almost certainly extract more
information than is currently possible. Excavation is also
expensive and time-consuming, and discoveries may have to be
evaluated in a hurry against an inadequate research framework. The
preservation in situ of important archaeological remains is
therefore nearly always to be preferred.
Positive planning and management can help to bring about
sensible solutions to the treatment of sites with archaeological
remains and reduce the areas of potential conflict between
development and preservation. Both central government and English
Heritage have important roles to play. But the key to the future of
the great majority of archaeological sites and historic landscapes
lies with local authorities, acting within the framework set by
central government, in their various capacities as planning,
education and recreational authorities, as well as with the owners
of sites themselves. Appropriate planning policies in development
plans and their implementation through development control will be
especially important.