The Heritage Journal has a text called 'Nighthawking: it’s all hogwash'. The basic premise is that which several of us have been voicing for so long, that it is not clandestine illegal artefact hunting which is the real problem with UK "policies" on artefact hunting, but the clandestine (unreported/ unmitigated) pilfering of the archaeological record for personal entertainment and gain which is.
this weekend an army of people will be out detecting, perfectly legally, on hundreds of unprotected Roman sites. Most of them don’t report some or all of their finds (as PAS has categorically confirmed and the Government doesn’t deny) which means they steal vastly more knowledge than nighthawks.It is difficult to argue with that, which is why artefact hunters in general don't try. They respond instead with abuse and threats like the "dick" from Texas. Fortunately the number of archaeologists who are waking up to the gap between the reality and the PAS-dream is increasing.
Vignette: Hogwash
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