A group of 733 archaeologists have signed an open letter calling for the heritage sector to take a leadership role in the Stonehenge tunnel controversy. The £1.7bn, two-mile (3.2km) tunnel, which runs from Amesbury to Berwick Down, was approved by the Department for Transport in July. However, if the project goes ahead, there is a risk that Stonehenge will lose its status as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The National Highways claims that the tunnel will reduce journey times by removing the sight and sound of traffic.
According to the letter, archaeologists have been “overwhelmingly absent” in the debate and need to come together. The letter is signed by prominent archaeologists including Professor Alice Roberts and archaeogeneticist Turi King. It states that many UK archaeology organisations have distanced themselves from the “politicised and polarised debate”. The letter concludes that the heritage sector urgently needs a powerful, evidence-based voice to reframe the Stonehenge debate.
The project was initially approved by the government in 2020, but following a successful campaign, a judicial review overturned the decision in 2021. The government, however, argued that the tunnel was necessary and its benefits “outweighed the harms”. Campaigners are making a second bid to block the plans by arguing that the government is “irrational” for not heeding UNESCO’s warning that the ancient monument could end up on its list of heritage sites “in danger”.
The heritage sector is now being called on to take the lead in this debate by the group of archaeologists who signed the open letter. The letter argues that the heritage sector “can all be that voice”. It states that archaeologists and other heritage specialists who are “best-informed on the subject” have been unable to provide insight due to professional obligations, leaving the debate distorted by fringe voices. The letter calls for a powerful, even-handed discussion that is driven by evidence, not politics, to ensure that this precious piece of history is not lost
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