Speaking up for London Archaeology
In today’s City Hall Plenary questions session with Munira Mirza, Boris Johnson’s Deputy Mayor for Education and Culture , Andrew Dismore, Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Hendon, London Assembly member for Barnet and Camden and honorary Chair of Trustees of the Council of British Archaeology (London) raised the lack of mention of Archaeology in the 2014 ‘Cultural Metropolis’ Mayor’s cultural strategy document.
Mr Dismore said:
“The Mayor’s Cultural Strategy is woefully inadequate in that it entirely ignores the Capital’s archaeological heritage. The word ‘archaeology’ does not appear anywhere in the document, as Ms Mirza was forced to concede.
“There is no acknowledgement of the importance of the relationship between archaeology and tourism.
“There is no mention of the role of historic churches in promoting music, art and architecture and contributing to tourism either.
“There is no acknowledgement of the importance of archaeology in planning policy. The Museum of London is where all commercially funded archaeology archives generated in London are deposited. These include records, artefacts and human remains which are used for research, learning activities, volunteer programmes both at the Museum and in the Boroughs. The Museum of London’s Archaeological Archive and Centre Human Bioarchaeology is regarded as a role model for the rest of the country. There is not even a passing mention of this in the new Cultural Strategy.
“There is no mention of community archaeology, which is a recreation in which many Londoners participate and the Thames Discovery Programme which is vital to the disappearing archaeology of the river and which is badly in need of funds.
“If the Mayor had consulted on his new strategy before publishing it, omissions such as these could have been rectified.
“I am pleased to have been able to use the opportunity of today’s plenary to highlight the important and valuable role archaeology plays in London’s cultural and commercial life”.