Wednesday, 7 July 2010

Yahoo Artifacts Group to Join UK Festival of Archaeology?

Tim Haines on the closed access Yahoo "AncientArtifacts" discussion group where all sorts of things go on unseen has, oblivious to the irony, just advertised the CBA's British Archaeology Festival there. While I am sure pretended association with this event may aid the presentation of this shipload of parrotting antiquitist pirates and hangers-on as a "responsible" venue, I am pretty sure it does not do the image of archaeology any favours. This is despite the fact that its list owner claims it has lots of archaeologists and museum curators on it, if it has they are the poor meek souls who are afraid to speak out there for responsible collecting for fear that such a stand will get them too chucked off the ship. The list is on the whole anti-archaeological, a mouthpiece for the "international" ACCG ranters with their biogotted views on any country that attempts to protect its archaeological heritage from being sold off to foreign collectors and with minimal toleration for any voices in opposition to such views. This is what Mr Haines apparently regards as a "responsible" approach to collecting.

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