On the UK detectorist forum there is currently a thread running, entitled 'Chicago Ron and friends'. Here are a few snippets for those who cannot see what is happening on this closed-access forum:
Few of us were watching some videos of his where he and some friend were over here on detecting holidays, Colchester was the venue, and the amount of gear they found was off its tits! I'm sure he's a great guy but it proper annoyed us last night knowing they are robbing our soil and taking our coins back to the USA.Another commentator is of a similar opinion:
Think he and his cronies believe they have a right to everything they dig up, because they have some English ancestry, which in his case is probably doubtfull. if they do, their ancestors turned there backs on England many years ago and therefore have no right whatsoever. Seeing his crowd makes my blood boil, especially the arrogance of them, they are foriegners and their attitude is completely dissrespectfull to this country, and its people, its unbelievable and they should be barred. Thats my personal opinion anyway.I think the Polish metal detectorists (Thesaurus metal detecting club) who a few weeks ago were arrogantly dismissive of my comments about their own exploitation of British laws might profitably reflect on the sentiments expressed in that thread. Those of them resident in England might like to add their own comments to the ongoing discussion of foreign artefact hunters hoiking stuff out and taking the artefacts away.
UPDATE 26th Nov 2012:
It is nice to see that the Poles noticed my comment and are taking it to heart. Pozdrawiam.
Vignette: "Chicago Ron" as some UK tekkies see him?
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4 comments:
hi paul,most of these americans on these "detecting hollidays" are detecting on seeded fields,im %100 certain of that.it dosent make for good business if you are charging these people an arm and a leg and they dont find anything.
hmm,so its ok to "rob our soil"if your british but not if you are a "foriegner".
kyri.
Oh I think UK metal detectorists are a pretty xenophobic bunch. How many coloured club members are there do you think?
Yes, I am (I think reliably) informed that seeding is indeed going on, both rallies and MD holidays.
Seeded?? HOW does one afford or have the time to "seed" 100's and 1000's of acres of fields? Celtic and Saxon gold? All kinds of items? AND HOPe someone finds it's when that person has NO idea where the team will even hunt that day or all week?? As they choose the field ! How about a gold Jesus statue worth $18,000£?? I guess it was planted also!?? Lol,, that is so insane!! And a British man RUNS all these hunts! Ron just drives the van!! And hunts as well!! If you are standing in a field and you can not see the end at any point ! How does one sees this with hammies , Gold hammered, milled, fibulas, bronze Roman lamb, hahah, again,, all jealousy nothing more! The museum has the authority to keep anything they wish!! We put SO much money into your community and donate 90% of all great finds to the museums for FREE! So if you have t met Ron, beat not to open your mouth and look totally stupid!!
Well, Mr "Jeff", as I say, the sources who have reported this, I regard as reliable. It is a fact that in some regions the FLOs will no longer record material said to be coming from metal detecting holidays because they are aware that this is, or may be, going on. You will note that the first commenter - a local detectorist not without experience - seems surprosed by teh amounts and types of items they are finding.
This "gold Jesus statue worth $18,000£" can you show us the PAS record for it? I cannot seem to find anything in the database from a Chicago Ron metal detecting event.... This is the only "Roman lamb" in the PAS database: https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/833434 not from a Chicago Ron metal detecting holiday I guess.
No this is not "jealousy" on my part, but this text is what local artefact hunters think of foreigners coming into their country - a fact you seem top ignore - and it was not me that introduced the topic of seeding.
No, it is not "totally stupid" for local history hunters to be disturbed by the pilfering of Britain's history by foreigners - neither is it "totally stupid" to raise questions about it. Your post is a supreme example of the type of thing the person quoted in the post means by "the arrogance of them, they are foreigners and their attitude is completely disrespectful to this country, and its people, its unbelievable". Jeff, ask yourself who - in adopting such a tone here - is the one in the wrong.
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