Prehistory is 'complete bollocks' says radiocarbon expert

[deadlylampshade]

that's the A40 for you

although why you'd want to go to Cheltenham eludes me. ..

I can exclusively reveal that the Cheltenham spa has nothing to do with Minerva and natural springs and wot not...it's a fountain of eternal youth based on Guinness! :0There is a special Festival every year which is a rite of spring...fabulous. You really should try it some day...}

[gwyl]

the icing on the cake, for me, is that there was a 'property boom' during the Neolithic. what?!?!?!

so, from this, the entire focus and purpose of British archaeology can be boiled down to tracking a flint-knapping, hazelnut-eating, rock-rolling bunch of hairy-arsed immigrant farmers developing into a daily mail-reading diying dyspeptic bunch of home-owners. triffic.

god help us.

[moreno]

Some food for thought:

http://antiquity.ac.uk/projgall/levy/

Some articles (follow the links) regarding the use and nuances involving Baysian Calibration. As Tom Wilson pointed out, Baysian Calibration has been around for awhile, and not everyone agrees on how it's applied.

[P Prentice]

all of which is true

but what it all comes down to is that a lot of prehistory is 'complete bollocks'; all this rubbish about increasing complexity and hierarchies and centralisation of production and sacred landscapes of the eternal naval; frankly it's all dungeons and dragons and arthur and the medievalisation of prehistory. 'complete bollocks'.

it does go some way (that is to say a very long way) to explaining why my pot dates read one thing, my stratigraphy agrees but not entirely and my radiocarbon dates say wahey it's all prehistory, innit and i'm left holding a baby that is a tradition that extends through time and across space

prehistory is 'complete bollocks'

maybe that'll find it's way into the publication report, even at this late hour of the day

best get back to medieval smithing and potting

proper archaeology; not makeyuppyology

one last time 'COMPLETE BOLLOCKS'

OOOOOOOOOOoooooooooohh that feels good

Next time you are putting in a WSI on a prehistoric site i will take great pleasure in reminding you of this statement - you scrofulous medieval peasant

[Unitof1]

so, from this, the entire focus and purpose of British can be boiled down to tracking a flint-knapping, hazelnut-eating, rock-rolling bunch of hairy-arsed immigrant farmers developing into a daily mail-reading diying dyspeptic bunch of home-owners. triffic.

but now also an eh dictate. Why is eh doing baysian statistics? Will it gloss over not shedualling any more cuasewayed encloures thingys?-

[P Prentice]

e h, like most of the rest of us, is probably interested in moving forward the study of our past rather than finding ways to fleece lilold laddies

[gwyl]

and some more food for thought

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/scienc...93393.html

although why shouldn't EH be doing Baysian stats; someone has to...

and i shan't be the one.

[Unitof1]

Apart from agriculture came by boat to kent and then decided that for the rest of Britain it would walk from there bollocks

Eh are also landowners, owners of monuments and statutory advisors to planning applications. Do they start saying well actually causewayed thingys are just some isolated property development which never caught on and have little archaeological significances in the greater scheme of things, so put up an outer town super market, we refuse to schedule another one if it is found, just get some more dates to prove our theory?.

[P Prentice]

Apart from agriculture came by boat to kent and then decided that for the rest of Britain it would walk from there bollocks

Eh are also landowners, owners of monuments and statutory advisors to planning applications. Do they start saying well actually causewayed thingys are just some isolated property development which never caught on and have little archaeological significances in the greater scheme of things, so put up an outer town super market, we refuse to schedule another one if it is found, just get some more dates to prove our theory?.

you are a scream today unit, a conspiritortionist par excellence. no need for any research anywhere on anything just do evaluations eh?

[gwyl]

Apart from agriculture came by boat to kent and then decided that for the rest of Britain it would walk from there bollocks

well, you know how these things are. agriculture probably took a little while to catch on outside of the cosmopolitan southeast, like cappucinos, crystal balls, spelling and all the other great stuff we got from the Romans over the years

Eh are also landowners, owners of monuments and statutory advisors to planning applications. Do they start saying well actually causewayed thingys are just some isolated property development which never caught on and have little archaeological significances in the greater scheme of things, so put up an outer town super market, we refuse to schedule another one if it is found, just get some more dates to prove our theory?.

well, funny you should mention that

http://www.cityam.com/news-and-analysis/...pe-britain

you've gotta laugh, innit Unit

tho' to be honest, i think the Westway and elevated roadways should also be included in EH's scheduling

there's too much old rubbish in there