Hi, Jane,

A step into this potential minefield is to be applauded - especially by Heritage Action - as I believe that this campaign is - sadly - important and neccessary, if only to keep the problem afloat in the minds of the goldfish majority. However, the fly in the ointment is always going to be the self-regulation of a tranche of people who have little or no regard for the relationship between their find and the context in which they found it: magpies in wellies. I have, therefore, come to the conclusion that only an outright ban of the hobby will bring any effect. (I do know that some great finds have been discovered as a consequence of detectorists, and some great work has been done, but the weight of the con's is greater than the pro's IMO).

Good Luck - I wish I was benificent as you lot!

Peace

Pilgrim

X

Having spent every day for a year talking to detectorists and attending a club meeting and several rallies and reading all the reports and stats I think I now have a good handle on what goes on. IMO the whole issue is stuck in a bind, as illustrated by what has been said here. Bad stuff goes on, good stuff goes on. Complaints about bad stuff get defended by citing good stuff. Curate's eggs aren't bad but they sure ain't good.

So ALL that can be done, rationally, is to say "how much is bad and does the good outweigh it?"

I've taken the kindest possible figures from the hobby's point of view: 1750 reported finds last year, 8,000 didn't. On that basis, I deduce bad stuff is probably dominant, BUT I haven't called for a ban, merely for social pressure.

My reasonableness in all this should be measured against the fact that Bill Wyman, celebrity detectorist, recently put the number of detectorists at 150,000. He's probably wrong, but many other estimates have been far higher than mine, none have been lower so it might be that my figures for the number of non-reporters are way too kind. What doesn't change however, and is a matter of solid official record, is that after 7 years of the scheme only 1750 people reported to it last year and that's not on. Unless it changes the govt. will pull the plug on PAS as a lousy investment and then banning the hobby altogether will follow.

So far, all I have seen is everyone, apart from one person, talking about things they know nothing about.

Pilgrim, bit of a draconian solution...don't like it - ban it.

What if these people using metal detectors decided that, because fieldwalkers find so many artefacts, few of which get reported, a general ban should be made against anyone who wants to fieldwalk.

Detectorists have, as far as I am aware, every legal right (permission having been granted) to Metal Detect wherever they wish.

You start by having an amnesty on unreported finds. All finds must be reported and certified. All items offered up for amnesty get assessed for national heritage importance and reasonable compulsory purchases are made if necessary. After the amnesty dealine nothing can be sold without authenticity and certification. Very large fines (and prison sentences for repeat offenders) are put in place. All new finds must then be reported or they become unsaleable

Once you have a clear system in place the rest becomes quite easy.

You do not want to go down the route of blanket bans or permits. In Ireland a permit system exists, but only Universities and privately owned archaeo companies can get them. Undoubtedly nighthawking goes on in Ireland, but I believe they say they don't have a problem with MD-ists because MDs are illegal. D'OH!

The Universities can't really afford to do loads of work and the private companies get the rights to whatever they find (albeit sometimes just the intellectual rights/image & info copyright for a limited period). It's a system that is, basically, a crock of shite!

What we do need are honest amateurs out there doing this, but the honesty does sadly need thrusting upon some of them.

http://www.finds.org.uk/news/story.php?newsID=148