The Rose Theatre: Twenty Years of Continuous Monitoring, Lessons, and Legacy

Abstract

The discovery of the Rose Theatre in 1989 led to the implementation of new planning guidance focused on the presumption that the preferred response to development impacting on archaeological sites would be mitigation and preservation in situ. There was little understanding of what the impact of mitigation would be on the quality of the buried evidence and the Rose Theatre site was the first to be scientifically monitored. As a direct result research was implemented and the PARIS series of conferences were initiated.

Keywords:

• Elizabethan theatre
• in situ preservation
• monitoring
• reburial

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mike Corfield

Mike Corfield joined English Heritage in 1991 following nearly twenty years as Head of Conservation in Wiltshire and at the National Museum of Wales. As Head of Conservation (and later Head of the Ancient Monuments Laboratory and Chief Scientist) he assumed responsibility for the monitoring programme and the site preservation of the Rose Theatre. He promoted a number of research projects to investigate the ground environment and hydrology and to study the quality of preservation of archaeological evidence, and supported the first and second PARIS conferences. Since his retirement he has retained his interests presenting and publishing papers and giving advice on site preservation. He is a Trustee of the Rose Theatre Trust and of the Alderney Maritime Trust.

Correspondence to: Mike Corfield. Email: [email protected]