David Gill points out (PAS in Wales) that Wales' devolved government and government spending cuts have meant that in precisely six months time (April 2012), responsibility for the Portable Antiquities Scheme in that country will rest with the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff, and they will have to find an additional GBP 60 000 annually just to keep it running at current levels. He notes that there seems to be no mention of PAS on the Welsh Government website.In a parallel blog opened today, I look at the way PAS has tended to shield certain aspects of the "metal detecting problem" in England and Wales from proper public scrutiny, empowering the history takers with metal detectors and giving them a false feeling of entitlement. I conclude that doing away with a Portable Antiquities Scheme would not only save money, but have beneficial effects in forcing a rethink across the British Isles about the future of the hunting for and collecting of archaeological finds from archaeological sites.
In a series of posts here over the next fortnight, I intend to apply the same arguments about the heritage issues raised by their activities to England's "metal detectorists", a milieu which prefers aggressive methods intended to deflect discussion and silence the critics to reasoned discussion. Perhaps the loss of the Welsh PAS will convince them that this is no way to guarantee their hobby any kind of recognition and support.
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