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Latest from EH on Silbury, direct from the horse's mouth:
* The current archaeological work is to record any surface or shallow
features on the top of the hill which may be disturbed by the engineering
work required to stabilise the hill.
* Following seismic survey [1] the engineers on the project will determine
what works are needed and (hopefully) proceed with them. It has become
clear that there are side-galleries, spaces created by collapse, and all
sorts of interesting and problematic stuff inside the hill. Just filling
it with gravel could well provoke further collapse and isn't a realistic
option. [2]
* The works aren't going to be cheap.
So it seems that EH are pretty much on-message with all of this, *but* the
funding issue could still be a serious problem. Unless funding for the
works is forthcoming very soon after the survey, then the survey will
rapidly become obsolete as more collapses occur. For a unique World
Heritage site such as Silbury, it surely behooves the Department of Culture
to provide a special rescue grant.
See you on Saturday,
AndyG
www.cruithni.org
[1] Seismic survey of something this size doesn't involve using huge
charges which might collapse the hill further. The thing will be studded
with microphones like a clove-studded Christmas pudding and then a small
shock will be sent through, probably by hitting an iron spike with a
hammer. The mics are *very* sensitive.
[2] Example: Build a conical hill with a vertical shaft down the centre
from wooden childs' play blocks. Fill the centre with rice. The weight of
the rice causes the blocks to be pushed outward, causing the structure to
be pushed apart and slump.
Something is not right. This message is just to keep things from messing up down the road