I mentioned last week that I was fascinated by the many Roman and Neolithic sites found scattered across the British Isles. Well, here's why: the photo above shows everything that remains of a West Virginia mining community called Vindex, which had people living in it as recently as the 1960s. Less than fifty years later, all that's left is a set of concrete steps in the middle of a forest. With preservation like that, you can understand why I might find the relatvely well-preserved ruins of ancient Britain so fascinating.
That photo comes from an interesting article in last week's Washington Post about the efforts of local historians to at least preserve the memory of abandoned mining communities like Vindex. Check it out.