
ENGLAND: In the shadow of the headquarters of MI6, the country's Secret Intelligence Service, London's oldest structure has emerged from Thames muck. Six timber pilings date to around 6,000 years ago, and represent a surprisingly robust structure for the Mesolithic. Early in the excavation, armed policemen arrived, wondering why people in hip waders with measuring equipment were prowling around the doorstep of one of the world's most secure buildings. They were not deemed a security risk.