An Archaeology of Nuclear Power

Abstract

This chapter details an archaeological approach to sites in the nuclear industry. Set against a background of a consideration of Cold War sites more generally, the chapter suggests that nuclear sites have seen little investigation because many are still in use. Furthermore, there are associated risks of contamination (radiation) along with security issues to consider. However, the effects of nuclear sites can be documented, in terms of how they affect both people and landscapes around them. Moreover, it is possible to identify the material outcomes of such sites, albeit in slightly less conventional ways than other industrial processes. Thus, these sites should be considered an important part of our industrial heritage, and can benefit from future archaeological investigation.