DISCUSSION
The print was hardly dry on the last issue of the
Bulletin before I received a letter from Mr. W.J. Chambers
of Saffron Walden. With his permission, and that of Mr.
Laurence Harley, I am presenting extracts from that letter
and the resulting stimulating correspondence between Mr,
Chambers and Mr. Harley,
March 19th, From Mr, Chambers to the Editor:
"In the Spring Bulletin you print an interview with
Mr, Laurence Harley in which he referred in disparaging
terms to the books "Children of the Sun" and Alfred Watkins'
"The Old Straight Track", In (the latter) Watkins attempts
to prove that in ancient times standing stones, mounds and
other structures were erected to mark the courses of an
elaborate system of trackways, He supports this view by
considerable research, aided by a good deal of field—work.
"Mr. Harley goes on to say that such books should be
read only for fun, This appears to be tantamount to saying
that original ideas, put forward by non-professionals,
should be ignored, Surely this is all wrong, Theories, if
properly worked out and supported by evidence, are entitled
to be judged on their merits, and not to be dismissed
off-hand in this summary manner. We do not want to create
a sort of archaeological orthodoxy, from which any man
deviates at his peril, There is still room for the open
mind, in this discipline as in life in general".
I forwarded a copy of this letter to Mr, Harley, and
this was his reply to Mr, Chambers,
March 30th, Harley to Chambers "....You must agree that in
my replies to verbal questions, I had to compress my views
into a few words on each of many aspects of archaeology but,
even so, I gave more attention to such books as the Old
Straight Track than your letter would suggest, I said, in
effect, that the information gathered by such authors should
not be neglected, but their theories are not now acceptable
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