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Squid Tempest S
Squid Tempest Nov 9, 2009 11:52:14
Replying to tjj

tjj wrote:
scubi63 wrote:
Interesting report on the BBC news this morning about illegal metal detecting.

In the report Joe Cowley quite bravely confronts two of them walking away from the scene.

A short part of the report can be found here

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8346965.stm

I believe there is going to be a full piece on Inside-Out South tonight that should be available on iPlayer for those outside the area.

I watched this with interest Scubi, thank you. These people are clearly in the wrong or they would not need the cover of darkness to do what they are doing, though personally I find these confrontational 'gotcha' programmes that the BBC seem to specialise in, a bit tedious.

The whole question of metal detectoring is a different matter though. Thankfully, by and large the archaeological world has stopped vilifying detectorists and started to some extent working with them which why the Portable Antiquities Finds Scheme was set up. Without some of the truly amazing finds such as in Staffordshire and more recently near Stirling, our knowledge of the ancient world would surely be less.

http://www.finds.org.uk/

I know this has all been covered before, but I really don't think metal detecting can possibly be a good thing, no matter how many artifacts are unearthed by it. In fact, the more things that are found, the more our historical heritage is destroyed. By taking finds from their original setting without a proper archeological dig is just appalling. It really should be illegal.

N nigelswift
nigelswift Nov 9, 2009 12:01:48
Replying to Squid Tempest

"I really don't think metal detecting can possibly be a good thing, no matter how many artifacts are unearthed by it. In fact, the more things that are found, the more our historical heritage is destroyed. By taking finds from their original setting without a proper archeological dig is just appalling. "

Succinctly put!
May I quote you? ;)

The apologists for metal detecting will say the finds mostly come from disturbed ploughsoil and are therefore contextless. It's a self-serving lie. They are part of horizontal scatters.


"It really should be illegal."

Which is why it IS in every civilised country on earth except this one!

T tjj
tjj Nov 9, 2009 15:07:34
Replying to Squid Tempest

Squid Tempest wrote:
I know this has all been covered before, but I really don't think metal detecting can possibly be a good thing, no matter how many artifacts are unearthed by it. In fact, the more things that are found, the more our historical heritage is destroyed. By taking finds from their original setting without a proper archeological dig is just appalling. It really should be illegal.
By answering Scubi's post it was not my intention to open a can of worms. Speaking personally, I would have absolutely no desire to become a detectorist and the ones in the BBC clip seem little better than the gangs that go around nicking lead from from church roofs under the cover of darkness (perhaps worse in the view of some).

On the other hand when artifacts are found that helps us know more about the craftmanship and skill from a time when writing was not in use (as far as we know) then I cannot help but feel something of a thrill.

It all comes down to a strict code of ethics and education of the general public about the harm that they can do (I didn't know until reading some of the posts here). Unfortunately we can't legislate for criminal activity.