Questioning the above story, the following was received.
Categorically........there was no 'call from archaeologists', nor is there any presumption of the need for further legislation. Essentially the police and CPR are understandably reluctant to devote scarce resources to an issue unless they have some hard information on the scale of the problem and its prevalence. At the moment all there is is a lot of the smoke and mirrors of anecdote, which tends to both condemn all detectorists as criminals and all archaeologists as academic snobs
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HAVE you ever wondered if something you have found in the garden or while out for a walk might be a little bit more interesting?
Next week is the perfect chance when Warrington Museum marks National Archaeology Week by offering free consultations on any items you may have found while metal detecting, out walking or in the garden.
Frances McIntosh, from the Portable Antiquities Scheme in the north west, will be at the museum on Wednesday, between 1pm and 4.30pm, to offer one-on-one consultations. advertisement
No appointment is necessary.
From: This is Cheshire
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Originally posted by Tetricus: First some bad news. Thieves using metal detectors, have allegedly raided an excavation site. The article assumes artefacts have been removed.
THIEVES STEAL ROMAN RELICS FROM DIG SITE
Thieves with metal detectors have stolen Roman artefacts from a major archeological excavation site.
Why put the stress on 'assumes'? Are you saying they are liars?
Comedy comments on the post, including one from our dear own kevmar! Once again a balanced report (using the phrase thieves with metal detectors' and not 'detectorists') but yet again there is a chorus of detectorist denial. It's all sadly a bit reminiscent of the arguments you hear from the america national riffle association every time there is another massacre. Accept it. There are thieves who use metal detectors to steal artefacts from land they do not have permission to be on
Originally posted by aardvark: Why put the stress on 'assumes'? Are you saying they are liars ?,
I wouldn't call anyone a liar, without evidence to backup the accusation, but with these stories, you never get all the facts.
I don't know if it's just a coincidence, but there are three similar stories doing the rounds at present. Now, I'm not one for conspiracy theories, but it beggars the question "Is someone or a group of like minded people, attempting to give the impression that detectorists are responsible for raiding excavations" ? I know what the response would be to that theory, but there are certain people who are desperate enough to sink to those measures. Especially as they know that there is a big detecting rally coming up shortly, which will hopefully show the responsible side of the hobby. Yes, there are thieves who use metal detectors to steal artefacts from land they do not have permission to be on, and they are the more likely culprits. No amount of legislation will curb their activities. As I, and many others have said for a long time. There are many detectorists who would be more than willing to give up some of their spare time, to help archaeologists extract metallic finds from excavations. For the most part these offers have been rejected (with some exceptions), using the argument that “it’s not proper archaeology”. Some archaeologists are using metal detectors, but they are very few and far between So unless sites have 24hr security, they will continue to be raided by the afore mentioned criminals, artefacts lost, with all detectorists getting the blame.
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by Tetricus: As I, and many others have said for a long time. There are many detectorists who would be more than willing to give up some of their spare time, to help archaeologists extract metallic finds from excavations. For the most part these offers have been rejected (with some exceptions), using the argument that “it’s not proper archaeology”. Some archaeologists are using metal detectors, but they are very few and far between QUOTE]
And it also has to be reiterated, once again, that the reason many archaeologists don't use metal detectorists on site is because the same rules apply to them as it does to any volunteer, ie, it is not possible for them to work on site because of insurance reasons.
Also,(and I'm fairly sure aardvark and BAJR will agree with this) there are is an increasing number of archaeologists using metal detectors onsite now. Their use is nearly always a condition put into Written Schemes of investigation that we all have to submit now (At least it is in Essex!)
Comedy comments on the post, including one from our dear own kevmar!
What a cheek ardvark,not like you eh? Anyway at least you realise
''There are thieves who use metal detectors''
A totally different thing to hobbyists alltogether. There are people who use the welly boot to nick stuff from digs, does that make all welly boot wearing individuals the same? Get the context of your argument right, as context is the big thing with your lot. Quite a strange post if I may say, you personally knowing the benefit of responsible detector useage n' all.
Also,(and I'm fairly sure aardvark and BAJR will agree with this) there are is an increasing number of archaeologists using metal detectors onsite now. Their use is nearly always a condition put into Written Schemes of investigation that we all have to submit now (At least it is in Essex!)
Nice to hear it, I think that in the past there has been an attitude of "Thou shalt not utter the words Metal Detector" under any circumstances. In the process, "cutting off one's nose to spite one's face"
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Originally posted by Tetricus: There are many detectorists who would be more than willing to give up some of their spare time, to help archaeologists extract metallic finds from excavations. For the most part these offers have been rejected (with some exceptions), using the argument that “it’s not proper archaeology”. Some archaeologists are using metal detectors, but they are very few and far between
All the digs I've been on (almost all training/community digs which may be different) have had metal detectorists helping. Although there was one site where there wasn't, because the director said no one from the local club was interested.
All the digs I've been on (almost all training/community digs which may be different) have had metal detectorists helping. Although there was one site where there wasn't, because the director said no one from the local club was interested.
That's a shame, as they may not be asked again. I know that in Suffolk, Norfolk and Kent (and possibly other counties ? ) detecting clubs have a good working relationship with archaeologists, and often help out on digs. In other parts of the country there have also been battlefield surveys, involving detectorists working alongside archaeologists. So it can be done if people put their minds to it, and put aside their prejudices.
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METAL DETECTOR FIND REVEALS GRISLY ROMANO-BRITISH SLAVE TRADE
In the year of the bicentenary of the Parliamentary Act to abolish the Atlantic slave trade a rare Roman figurine that references an earlier trade in slaves has been discovered near Andover in Hampshire.
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Originally posted by Tetricus: This is an example of bad, uninformed reporting. Night metal detectors 'looting Britain archaelogists have warned that Britain's historical artefacts are being looted by unscrupulous metal detector enthusiasts.
Looks like another attempt by the archeological retentionists to stir up hysteria about "looting", part of their worldwide campaign to shed bad light on the legitimate trade in antiquities. This can only be to the detriment of those with a legitimate interest in the past and art of other cultures.
MISSING LINK TO BLOODTHIRSTY ANCIENT CELTIC WARRIOR GOD UNCOVERED
A new discovery that could change the way we think about Roman Britain has provided archaeologists with the missing link to a bloodthirsty ancient Celtic warrior god.
Originally posted by Tetricus: Viking treasure hoard uncovered
But in the 24Hourse Museum news item about this discovery, a British Museum "expert" discussing the find enthuses about the unusual "dates" on the Anglo-Saxon coins... Any real expert would know that these coins carry no dates !! Collectors are very much aware that these days museum staff everywhere simply do not have time to do the basic research on the objects in their collections. This is why we find such gaffes being made when they try to explain finds like these to the public. Embarrassing.
Now the British will be raising 750 000$ to put these coins into a museum where the staff will most probably not have time or resources to study them properly or even display all of them, or make them available for others to study. Far better, I say, would be to put them on the market so they can be studied by specialist avocational numismatists and use the money to buy the museum some good books on Anglo-Saxon coinage.
And once again we see the archeologists making wild leaps into the dark to provide a news item. How can they possibly tell it was a "Viking" (sic) who buried this hoard, and why? How can they date its deposition so precisely when the latest coin can only give the earliest possible date it would have been deposited? More attention grabbing archeological fairy tales I am afraid. So when will we see the final publication of any of these "treasure" finds rather than headline seeking "news" items? Is there a monograph series for them?
Originally posted by Antiquitist: Looks like another attempt by the archeological retentionists to stir up hysteria about "looting"
Why the inverted commas? What do collectors call looting?
Looting is a term used by the retentionist archeologists to stir up hysteria about collectors, rather than admitting archeology's debt to the work of the collecting fraternity. We would know much less about Anglo-Saxon coinage for example than we do (see above) if it were not for the dedicated work of many avocational numismatists on the objects in their collections. Many of them have a knowledge of the subject greater than many so-called "experts" among the archeologists (see above). There is one past and it belongs to us all. We all have the potential to make a contribution to knowledge about it, and we all have the right to be able to benefit from it.
Originally posted by Tetricus: This is an example of bad, uninformed reporting. Night metal detectors 'looting Britain archaelogists have warned that Britain's historical artefacts are being looted by unscrupulous metal detector enthusiasts.
Looks like another attempt by the archeological retentionists to stir up hysteria about "looting", part of their worldwide campaign to shed bad light on the legitimate trade in antiquities. This can only be to the detriment of those with a legitimate interest in the past and art of other cultures.
Whats the difference between a thief with a metal detector and a thieving metal detectorist? The two are totally unconnected.
