Fill It In or Open It Up

'The past is not static; it is moving all the time'. These words of Magnus Magnusson to an English Historic Towns Forum conference in Lincoln recently, underscored much of the debate there among archaeologists, and between them and the planners and developers who attended.

The Forum, established in 1987, represents some forty city and borough councils responsible for small and medium-sized historic towns. It has from the first been very much concerned with making historic towns work rather than fossilising them – previous conferences have tackled such subjects as pedestrianisation and town centre management, as well as aspects of building conservation. But this latest conference – mounted last November with sponsorship from the chartered surveyors, Donaldsons – focused on a subject which, until now given little attention by the Forum, increasingly concerns its members: that of archaeology.

Professor Barry Cunliffe's view of archaeology in 1990 is as having been transformed in the past two decades 'from an academic and undisciplined discipline' into 'a highly professional service industry' with a turnover of £20 million – a view which would surprise many.