'A grave problem': Archaeologist fears tunnel by Stonehenge could disturb monument

Story transcript

The U.K. government thought they had found a solution to traffic woes near the site of Stonehenge when, earlier this week, they approved a plan to replace part of the busy A303 roadway with an underground tunnel. 

For years, British authorities have wanted to "remove the sight and sound of traffic from the Stonehenge landscape" in Wiltshire, England.  

But archaeologist David Jacques says this tunnel plan will disturb the Neolithic structure and its surroundings, including the pre-Stonehenge encampment site, Blick Mead.

Jacques is concerned the disruption could even convince UNESCO to pull Stonehenge's World Heritage Site status. He spoke with As It Happens guest host Jim Brown about the issue. 

Tell us what the U.K. government's plan is to fix those traffic woes by Stonehenge.

The plan is for them to build a 1.8-kilometre tunnel that basically takes people's view away from the stones, and from the government's point of view, it will increase the flow of traffic and reduce pollution and what is obviously an eyesore in that part of England going past such an iconic monument. 

So what's wrong with that plan?

The tunnel, or the infrastructure required for it, will drain all the water around and about. Our site [Blick Mead] totally relies on a spring, which oxygenates all the organic remains that we've been able to carbon date and get these stories out of. So, it's extremely likely in our case that the water table will drop once the tunnel and all the infrastructure it requires starts to go in, and it will take out about 10,000 years of British history in five years. 

What about Stonehenge itself?

Well, I think that you now can't understand Stonehenge without understanding Blick Mead, because, as the press over in the U.K. are dubbing Blick Mead, it's the cradle of Stonehenge.

We can see that people were gathering in the area. We're only about a mile and a half from the stones, way farther back than people possibly imagined. It's like Stonehenge before the stones; it gives a really key context as to why they might be up. 

Actually, there are quite a number of specialists in different areas internationally and nationally that are pointing out that this is a grave problem, and something that shouldn't be happening.

A group called Stonehenge Alliance, which advises UNESCO, has warned that this tunnel plan could cause Stonehenge to lose its World Heritage status. Why? 

The Stonehenge landscape isn't just special to Stonehenge; the whole landscape is really special. If you take out a huge swath of land and really create a lot of disturbance, you are removing the possibility of research for generations to come. 

I think we shouldn't be so arrogant as archaeologists or engineers or anyone really to think that we've got all the answers in 2017.

I would love that some distant relation of mine in 3017 can be working at Stonehenge with wonderful technology that could really work out other things that are going on, because this place is special, not just for the local landscape, but for the world. 

What would be the impact, if that World Heritage status was lost?

I think it would just be absolutely shameful for the country. This is something that normally happens in countries that are war-torn or really badly resourced.

I think it would just be another moment, from a British point of view, where you feel like the zeitgeist is telling you that we're sort of crumbling, really. If a country like Britain can't look after one of its most special historic jewels, then what can you expect from other places? 

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. For more on this story, listen to our full interview with David Jacques.