"Responsible Detecting" and the Depth Advantage (part II: please don't take any notice)

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The comedy goes on. Heritage Action wrote a well-argued piece about the depth advantage given to detectorists with new machines being promoted by Minelab. There is now an addendum that I could not resist borrowing. The follow up to the attention this machine has been receiving is interesting in itself. This is from the Heritage Action website:

Update 31/10/10

NOTE ABOUT COMMENTS RECEIVED ON THIS TOPIC: We have received a succession of comments on this, all from metal detectorists, all telling us these machines are useless and pose no threat. Since this is so much at odds with the initial reaction on detectorists’ forums (universal delight, and many saying they would buy them) it looks very much like the comments are not to be taken at face value so we don’t feel obliged to give them a platform here. Nevertheless, here are a few examples of what we have been asked to believe. The reader can decide for him or herself whether they add up to a pretty obvious attempt to unjustly allay public fears:

“I wouldn’t take too much notice of these GPX depth claims”

“I wouldn’t get in such a panic.”

Almost no-one will buy them as they’re too expensive

“most detectorists are elderly and unlikely to wish to exert themselves to a great degree”

the three people demonstrating the machine “are well known in the detecting community to be responsible” [yet they are advocating digging to 18.5 inches?!!]

“It’s not a brand new machine, just a revamp”

“it’s not set up as an artefact finder but for hunting for gold nuggets, therefore not really that suitable for UK detecting” [even though the Minelab official site says “Also great for the specialist relic and jewellery hunter who demands the best, and wants to recover targets deeper than ever before.” ?]

“The previous model never really sold ” [so Minelab have launched this improved version expecting that this too won’t sell well?!]

“people will get pretty sick of digging lots of junk at all sorts of depths”,

“it’s mainly sales hype so the people involved can receive free detectors & other perks from Minelab”

And best of all:
“they are pretty much useless for most archaeological sites in Britain .”

Well, we can all stop worrying then! Or perhaps not. Incidentally, since not a single detectorist has written to us saying other than that these machines are useless and no threat whatsoever then detectorists will have no objection to their use being officially condemned or prohibited. Will they?

Well, will they? Time will tell, so far the PAS and British archaeologists are being very quiet about all this.