More Pricks than Kicks | Spiky deterrents then and now
‘Homeless spikes’ in London ( Source ) Over the last few days I’ve noticed a number of posts and photographs referring to the installation of metal studs, so-called ‘homeless spikes’, at the entrance to a property at 118 Southwark Bridge Road, London. Articles have appeared in The Guardian , ThinkProgress , Elite Daily , BuzzFeed , New York Daily News , and London’s Metro . I don’t particularly wish to make comment on the morality of using such a deterrent, other than to observe that it has united people across the political spectrum in condemnation. If there is an ‘upside’ to this story it must be that it has brought attention back on to the issue of homelessness in London, and in other cities generally. As terrible and heart-breaking as the issue of homelessness undoubtedly is, it would appear to have little direct relevance to an archaeology blog such as this. Indeed, the footnote I’d like to bring to the discussion is in relation to the notion that such deterrents are in