Projects per year
Abstract / Description of output
Vast quantities of waste rubble produced through demolition, natural disasters and conflict form part of the globe-spanning, anthropogenic deposit that has been called the “archaeosphere” (Edgeworth 2014). Whilst such material is often considered “waste” and of little value in the immediate aftermath of deconstruction or destruction, rubble rarely remains “wasted” for long and becomes reused in new cycles of construction. While architectural salvage and spolia are relatively well studied, the reuse of demolition rubble in the creation of new terrain (reclamation) is rarely discussed.
Responding to this, I discuss how Second World War bomb rubble was used to reclaim ground from Hackney Marsh and Leyton Marsh in East London. This waste material not only provided valuable new terrain for leisure facilities, but also led to a broad array of unexpected and emergent uses and valuations, including as site of footballing heritage and place of remembrance and contestation.
Responding to this, I discuss how Second World War bomb rubble was used to reclaim ground from Hackney Marsh and Leyton Marsh in East London. This waste material not only provided valuable new terrain for leisure facilities, but also led to a broad array of unexpected and emergent uses and valuations, including as site of footballing heritage and place of remembrance and contestation.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 25-48 |
Number of pages | 24 |
Journal | Journal of Contemporary Archaeology |
Volume | 10 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 25 Oct 2023 |
Event | (Conference Session organisation) Making Ground: the archaeology of waste landscapes. - Society for American Archaeology 87th Annual Meeting, Chicago, United States Duration: 31 Mar 2022 → 31 Mar 2022 https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/wastelandscapes/events/saa-session/ |
Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)
- bombing
- East London football heritage
- land reclamation
- rubble
- waste
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics of 'Gaining ground: Bomb rubble, reclamation and revenance'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 1 Finished
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Introduction: Making ground: The archaeology of waste landscapes
Edgeworth, M., Gardner, J. & Benjamin, J., 25 Oct 2023, In: Journal of Contemporary Archaeology. 10, 1, p. 1-7 7 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Of blaes and bings: The (non)toxic heritage of the West Lothian oil shale industry
Gardner, J., 21 Jul 2023, Toxic Heritage: Legacies, Futures, and Environmental Injustice. Kryder-Reid, E. & May, S. (eds.). London: Routledge, p. 35-49 (Key Issues in Cultural Heritage).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review
Open AccessFile
Press/Media
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How second world war bomb rubble was used to make 135 football pitches in east London
3/01/24
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Research
Activities
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The Spoils of Progress: Reimagining Edinburgh's Waste Landscapes
Jonathan Gardner (Invited speaker)
12 Oct 2023Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Public Engagement – Public lecture/debate/seminar
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Gaining Ground: demolition waste as raw material
Jonathan Gardner (Speaker)
31 Mar 2022Activity: Academic talk or presentation types › Oral presentation
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(Conference Session organisation) Making Ground: the archaeology of waste landscapes.
Jonathan Gardner (Organiser), Matt Edgeworth (Organiser) & Jeffrey Benjamin (Organiser)
31 Mar 2022Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in conference
File