Iraq and Syria: Artefact Hunter Accuses

Over on the anti-intellectual blog of collector and coiney John Hooker, a British would-be heritage commentator and metal detector owner affirms outright:

archaeologists are indeed, heavily involved in the illicit acquisition of artifacts (sic) clandestinely hoiked from heritage sites in Syria and Iraq.

Unlike his native Britain, standing up for the heritage in the regions he discusses involves very real risks, and the people that do deserve our highest respect. It is not only from this point of view that this comment is highly provocative. Its author does not present any evidence to support his affirmation. Certainly you do not need a degree - or even to have finished school - to be an artefact hunter or antiquities collector. The tells and abandoned cities of antiquity of Syria and Iraq are pretty difficult to miss, and easy for artefact hunters to "research" (locate).

This comment is more a reflection of a hatred of archaeologists among some anti-establishment British artefact hunters than any real desire (or ability) of anyone "passinitly intrested in th' 'istry" to take part in the heritage debate and discussions about how the effect better preservation of archaeological sites. 

TAKE A GOOD LOOK at this behaviour, for these are precisely the sort of people the PAS wants to grab more and more millions of public quid to make into the "partners" of the British Museum, archaeological heritage professionals and to whom they want us all to entrust the exploitation of the archaeological record. Take a good look and decide what you think about that as a "policy".