Why not get involved in Real Archaeology instead?

Culture not Merchandise

The Glasgow Trafficking Culture Project folk tend not to get involved with the debate on UK metal detecting, especially now Suzie Thomas has left for other climes. Donna Yates however, despite a recent tangle with one of the 'ambassadors for the hobby' ventures an opinion on reading PAS-partner Dave Crisp's awful opinion piece "Joy of metal detecting – it’s not just about the treasure". She quite rightly asks:

Why not get involved in real archaeology instead? 

A simple question, I wonder whether the PAS would care to give an answer. Why not? Why is this not the PAS argument too? Fifteen million quid to encourage hoiking and collecting instead of archaeology? How would the PAS actually answer that on the basis of seventeen years liaison? I bet though, we will never find out, the PAS pretty consistently run a mile from questions of public interest like that.