2005 - Whitby Naturalists

ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORDERS R'EPORT
Soon after writing last year's fepoft, trvo spectacular discoveries were
announccd, ,rn. of wortrclwide importance, thc other very local' Thc
frrrmer was the uncovcring on the lndonesian island of Flores of the
rcmains of a female crcarurc only three fcet high, dating from 18,000
years ago. This being was idenrified as human or quasi'hurnan, and the
discovJry challengei accepteci tleories about the er,'olution of the
human race. The significance of the discovery has subsequently beerr
challengcd, ancl the debate is likely to go on for some time in scientific
circles us to *hether this was a mutanr or real evidence of a dirninutive
,p*.i*, Predictably, there has been talk of 'hobbits' and 'the *'ee fblk''
The correct n?lme is homo floresiensis'
The more local discovery was a by-product of the devastating fires on
the moorlancl in the summer of 2003. These laid bare mtrch material
iong conccaled, and the most remarkable find was a piece of carved
sanrlsrone from the Btonze Age somc 4,000 )iears ago. It was thought
possibly to have been some klnd of n1ap. There was controvelsy as to
w[ether this should be giver-i a place in Whitby Museum or retlrned
to the m0ors.
The pages of the YarkshirePosr reveal an on-going controvcfsy ovel the
p*r."i*A threat to Thornborough Rings tirrough quarrying' This is an
irr,,. ,"1-,*r. pubiic 'pinion is important, and while clearly warrn feelings
have becn aroused, there is a casc to be made on both sides.
BARRIE \YILLIAMS