Friday, 16 November 2018

New Self-Recording Site for Metal Detectorists [UPDATED]



One of the ways it seems UK detectorists are contemplating dealing with an uncertain future for the legitimating PAS is apparently setting up their own recording schemes. One new one, created in the past few weeks is the Metal Detecting Finds Artefacts Database (MDFAD) 
This FREE website has been set up as a place for metal detectorist's (sic) to upload and show their finds within an easy to use public searchable database. This database is open to view by everyone BUT your details and find spots will always remain completely protected and anonymous. The more people that participate and contribute to this database the more useful it will become as a reference point helping everyone to identify their own finds and get the best out of the hobby we love. [...] To use the database as a non-registered user you can use the basic or advanced search, just type in a relevant word and click search to filter down the results, alternatively you may do the same but with just the images with a link to the main record where more information is supplied. 
It is free, in contrast to the other one, the UDDFD that is now fully accessible to subscribers. There seems little point in having such a database without basic location information to the same sort of level as the PAS. It also seems that this facility is seen as a showcase and a place for show-and-tell rather than a public record of losses from the archaeological record. the PAS after twenty years has failed to get even that fundamental message across. There is a caveat (renamed from 'please note' to 'PAS NOTE', though I would be disappointed to learn that PAS actually is responsible for this wording):

Any finds classed as treasure, hordes (sic), or has archaeological importance must be submitted through the official channels in the normal way. www.MDFinds.co.uk is a self-recording site and is not an alternative to the Portable Antiquities Scheme administered by your local Finds Liaison Officers when registering items covered by the Treasure Act 1996
It is not an 'alternative to the PAS when registering items covered by the Treasure Act', but items that are not Treasure.... (?) On the 'How to use' page we learn:
Detecting Code of Conduct (We promote the use of the code of conduct in respect of Metal Detecting and recommend you read and observe the recognised simple rules to help protect our hobby)
Unfortunately, there is no link, so we are left guessing which 'code of conduct in respect of Metal Detecting' they are talking about, but note that adherence to it is only seen as necessary to 'help protect our hobby', rather than it being a matter of pride or a measure of actual responsibility to be engaged in best practice.
There are some oddities in the description of some of the data fields:
Culture Type: (Required) This is used to identify the people of the time that used the artefact if known, else use “UNKNOWN?”.
Location: This is for your own personal reference and is not made public, so for example you have a permission and the find or finds have come from that permission, you might want to put a name or reference here to group the finds from that area.
County: (Required) We ask that you provide the County the artefact was found, for helping to get a picture of geographical find concentrations.
Discovered: (Required) This is the year only that the artefact was recovered for reference.
[...] Remember all personal information is kept private and not shared with others. [...]
Artefact Location Map This is an optional section and can be used by people who wish to pin point the exact location the item was retrieved from. This information is never made public and is for your reference only. There are two fields Latitude and Longitude that are in decimal degrees [...] [reference to Google Earth].
UPDATE3rd Dec 2018
The comments section below this post contains the following information:
Also we are working closely with FLO who like the idea of this website as it gives them the opportunity to see items that would not normally get to see and can flag any item that is of acialogial (sic) importance. We have FLO registered users on the site for this purpose.
The FLO of course cannot contact the person who has this artefact as the records are anonymous.  So the structure of the record seems more suited to preventing anyone from finding who has what than facilitating it.



1 comment:

  1. Paul Barford reference your blogg New Self-Recording Site for Metal Detectorists 16th November. I would ask you to re visit the MD finds website register if you have not done so already and you will see a lot of changes made since your article. Also we are working closely with FLO who like the idea of this website as it gives them the opportunity to see items that would not normally get to see and can flag any item that is of acialogial importance. We have FLO registered users on the site for this purpose. If you have any questions or suggestions please contact us using the admin email found on the website and I will be happy to respond.

    ReplyDelete