Detectorists 2

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Sanctuary S
Sanctuary Dec 4, 2015 17:53:21
Replying to tjj

tjj wrote:
Sanctuary wrote:
tjj wrote:
moss wrote:
And ended on a perfect note.. Lovely subtle play of characters, summer scenery and a 'find' at the end. Hopefully we will have more.
For once Moss, I'm afraid I have to disagree with you. It compounded all the reservations expressed earlier in this thread and it was dishonest in its 'harmlessness'. The 'find' was so obviously a replica of the very precious Alfred Jewel which was found in 1693 - implying there may be another one out there buried by an ancient site was at the very least disingenuous.
I think you will find there may well be many more such aestel's lying buried tjj. Not so rare as you may think according to this!
http://www.ashmolean.org/ash/objectofmonth/2005-04/theobject.htm
I've read your link and there is nothing there that says the Alfred Jewel is anything but rare and precious. The closing scene of the Dectectorists (which I enjoyed for its characterisations rather than subject matter) very specifically showed a replica of the Alfred Jewel being found by a fallen standing stone - quite a cleverly reproduced fake artefact. At this point, sadly, the series ended on an unethical note - for me anyway, one which jarred.
The aestel may well be precious but hardly rare if the last part of the link is correct (checked other sources and it is)...

'With each of the copies of one of these texts - the Pastoral Care of Pope Gregory the Great, written c.890 - which he dispatched to monasteries throughout England, he is said to have sent also a precious aestel so that it might be read with all due solemnity'.

They actually sound quite commonplace don't they so a few more could turn up. I wonder how many monasteries were about at the time?

But if you want fake then you can buy them in the Ashmolean Museum shop for £115.00 and available to anyone who can afford it. Maybe if there is a third series it will start with it being examined by an expert and found to have the museum stamp on it :-)

T tjj
tjj Dec 4, 2015 19:56:57
Replying to Sanctuary

Sanctuary wrote:
They actually sound quite commonplace don't they so a few more could turn up. I wonder how many monasteries were about at the time?
If they are commonplace why is there only one in a museum - they may have been in circulation between monasteries more than a millennium ago but genuine ones certainly are not common now. I think you've probably made the scenario a lot worse by suggesting they are lying around all over the place if you want to take your metal detector out and 'have a go'.