THE RIVAL ARCHAEOLOGISTS
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Type. Mixed. |
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Numbers. Adaptable. |
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Ground. Stretch of country with suitable objects of interest. These instructions apply to 0.S. 1" Sheets, 81 and 92. |
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Gear. Hike equipment as for 1st Class Journey. O.S. 1" Sheets, 81 and 92. |
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Time. 24 hours. |
Instructions.
Archaeologists are touchy folk! There are x parties of them at large on the Malvern Hills; each party is trying to get particulars of antiquities marked on the 1" O.S. Sheets, 81 and 92, in the area covered by the Malvern Hills ; the following amongst others are marked:
| Red Earl's Dyke, |
| Walon's Well, |
| Clutter's Cave, |
| Shrive Ditch, |
| Holy Well, |
| St. Ann's Well, |
| besides Camps and Tumuli. |
The object of each party is to be the first to get to a site; each decide which it will make for without letting anyone else know. Parties should start from points about half a mile apart from each other; no party having the advantage of nearness to any one antiquity.
Each party will wear a strand of colored wool visible on the right arm (half-way between shoulder and elbow) a different color will be needed for each.
Particulars of each antiquity will be recorded by means of rough measurements, plans, sketches, photographs, compass notes, etc. The time of arrival at any antiquity must be noted by the leader of each party. Should another party be already in possession on arrival, the archaeologists will get so annoyed that they will attack. As soon as the majority of a party has been killed off (wool broken), the remainder will abandon the antiquity and the whole party will withdraw. The leader of each party will issue fresh strands of wool, and the defeated party must not return to that antiquity for at least two hours.
Each party will camp for the night as near to an antiquity as practicable.
Points will be given for:
Priority in inspecting an antiquity.
Usefulness and completeness of sketches, etc., submitted. (Time will be allowed for getting prints, of photographs.)
Points will be deducted for lives lost. It is up to each leader to keep a record of these throughout the twenty-four hours.
Comments. An advanced game devised for a Troop. of very experienced Scouts or Rover Scouts. After the game was tried the following report was received from the G.S.M.
"The game was played last Monday on the Malvern Hills, between three parties of six each. They played it with great vigor and enthusiasm, one party camping on stony ground to get points for nearness to a site of antiquity. They anchored their guy-lines with stones and slept on bracken.
"A party of twelve ancient inhabitants was add who could kill the archaeologists, but were themselves invulnerable. The archaeologists said they improve the game, but the ancient men themselves found their, efforts rather pointless. We also added two ghosts (local legend of flying pigs) who could materialize at will and send any party back half a mile. They performed umpires' functions and kept the game going.
"We awarded points:
| Lives lost: 1. (One party lost 10.) |
| Priority of arrival at antiquity: 2. |
| Nearness of Camp Site: 5. |
| Report on antiquity (including sketch): 10 per antiquity (5 all told). |
This worked out well, the scores being 32, 28, 14."
