Friday 2 March 2012

Grabby Oiks Both Sides of the Pond

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Heritage Action has spotted the latest ACCG position on artefact hunting. Tompa thinks concern about archaeological preservation has only 'Snob Appeal', and by "putting American metal detectorists in its sights" for their televised irresponsible treatment of the archaeological record the AIA is "acting like archaeological snobs" (unlike, we are led to understand, the PAS who Tompa assumes would not react in any way whatsoever to any form of televised irresponsible treatment of the archaeological record). Thus it is, according to HA, that:

the paid lobbyist of the US Coin dealers, Mr Peter Tompa, thinks the AIA letters were all wrong. He recommends that they work towards getting archaeologists involved in televised commercial grabfests just like happens in Britain!

A clearer illustration that the antiquities trade is knowingly and mightily dependant upon and supportive of an army of grabby oiks on both sides of the pond could hardly be found.

No, on balance, I think the 240,000 members of the AIA have probably got it right and don’t need to change a syllable of their letters.

Tompa asks " why doesn’t the AIA take a more positive approach and work with the show’s producers to encourage American metal detectorists to properly record their finds and share any significant information they find with the archaeological community?". I'd ask why doesn’t the ACCG take a more positive approach and work with metal detectorist groups in the US to encourage American metal detectorists to do what they say metal detectorists everywhere should be doing, properly record their finds and share any significant information they find with the archaeological community? That surely is a way to defend "collectors' rights" and show in a concrete manner that the artefacts which the ACCG members covet can be obtained not only within the law, but also in an environmentally responsible manner. Once the US leads the way, it will be easier for US dealers and collectors to persuade other nations to follow the same path.

2 comments:

Nathan Elkins said...

Agreed. In fact, Tompa's attitude betrays his fundamental misunderstanding of archaeology as a discipline. It is not about digging up "cool stuff" and assembling a collection of individual objects. If that were the case archaeologists would be practicing treasure hunting as these programs promote. Archaeologists are rightly concerned as treasure hunting erodes a finite source material through uncontrolled excavation. These "amateur archaeologists" that Tompa wishes to promote have no business doing what they as they are neither qualified nor licensed to do archaeological work. And, as the SAA and AIA letters point out, there may also be a legal question.

Thanks for following these stories.

Paul Barford said...

Thanks Nathan. Tompa's picture of archaeology is heavily influenced by the facile antiquitist crap PAS in England is putting out all the time. That is why I am interested in the US situation.

 
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