The "Museum of the Citizen" (sic) is trumpeting (with the 'archaeological dumbdown exclamation mark):
The millionth object recorded by@findsorguk was a Roman coin from AD 341, part of a hoard of 22,000 coins!
and
Every year thousands of archaeological finds are discovered and recorded by @findsorguk http://ow.ly/YNf7QAnyone who wants to see the correct finish to both of those sentences can find the information on this blog. You will not be hearing either properly presented to the public (who pays for their cosy offices and petrol) by the staff of the PAS.
1) You will find (try searching "milliongate") my arguments for saying that this "millionth find" (not record) was fudged. Anyway, as Treasure items should be in a Treasure report not a separate database set up to record non-treasure items, this millionth find from a hoard is reported there superfluously leading to duplication of effort as well as finds numbers.
2) With regard to the second fluff-propaganda-head-pat piece, tens of thousands of archaeological artefacts are taken in Britain, some pocketed, some discarded, many sold on eBay, all not recorded. The British archaeological record is being eroded exploitatively both openly and clandestinely in an unprecedented manner and the PAS consistently refuses to address this issue properly, preferring to fob everybody off with feelgood fluff like the above. Shame on the lot of you.
Actually Paul, while no-one should be other than shocked by
ReplyDelete"tens of thousands of archaeological artefacts are taken in Britain, some pocketed, some discarded, many sold on eBay, all not recorded"
.....the reality, admitted by the previous head of PAS is that
"HUNDREDS of thousands of archaeological artefacts are taken in Britain, some pocketed, some discarded, many sold on eBay, all not recorded"....
(Ten times worse!)
Yes, but he had the decency to resign. Others stayed on the sinking ship.
ReplyDelete