A blog commenting on various aspects of the private collecting and trade in archaeological artefacts today and their effect on the archaeological record.
Sunday, 13 October 2019
Brexit: Keeping British Metal Detectorists on their Island of Confusion
Ending Freedom of Movement creates a prison not a fortress. from here
Now we need to make their leader Mr Johnson write in to the new Brexit deal that all the idiots/the uneducated/ theoafs of the world of Metal Detecting have their contact with the outside world cut off. I refer specifically to a video from 'YouTube Superstar' iDetect uploaded on Sunday 20 October 2019 which very clearly shows him pilfering antiquities from Sparsholt Roman Villa. A site that stays dear in my memory as it was one of my very first excavations whilst studying Archeaology in the early 1970's. Behaviour of this 'idiots' type hurts me to my soul. Where is the education? Where is the drive to learn about the area, where is the ambition to share their findings? All disregarded to increase their following. What is English Heritage doing to properly protect these sites and stop such oafs rampaging through British history?
Yes that's the video. I know this for two reasons. Firstly I spent a lot of time on that excavation and as it was one of my first it is in my memory as if it happened yesterday. Secondly another archaeologist I keep in touch with from that area walks their dog on the country park where the villa is sited. She sent me the link immediately, she is 100% sure it is that location. She is going there tomorrow to take images which match the exact location they filmed from to pass to Winchester City Museum who are the custodians of the artefacts discovered. These idiots need to be stopped before further damage to the record is caused.
According to this, the site is SCHEDULED https://www.forestryengland.uk/sites/default/files/documents/Hampshire%20Downs%20Forest%20Plan%20West%20Wood.pdf (p. 2)
Now we need to make their leader Mr Johnson write in to the new Brexit deal that all the idiots/the uneducated/ theoafs of the world of Metal Detecting have their contact with the outside world cut off. I refer specifically to a video from 'YouTube Superstar' iDetect uploaded on Sunday 20 October 2019 which very clearly shows him pilfering antiquities from Sparsholt Roman Villa. A site that stays dear in my memory as it was one of my very first excavations whilst studying Archeaology in the early 1970's. Behaviour of this 'idiots' type hurts me to my soul. Where is the education? Where is the drive to learn about the area, where is the ambition to share their findings? All disregarded to increase their following. What is English Heritage doing to properly protect these sites and stop such oafs rampaging through British history?
ReplyDeleteYou mean THIS video ("Oi've got a bucket full of Roman coins, they don't do anyfink for me") https://youtu.be/5dQRlRFDWbk?
ReplyDeleteHow do you work out that this is Sparsholt?
Yes that's the video. I know this for two reasons. Firstly I spent a lot of time on that excavation and as it was one of my first it is in my memory as if it happened yesterday. Secondly another archaeologist I keep in touch with from that area walks their dog on the country park where the villa is sited. She sent me the link immediately, she is 100% sure it is that location. She is going there tomorrow to take images which match the exact location they filmed from to pass to Winchester City Museum who are the custodians of the artefacts discovered. These idiots need to be stopped before further damage to the record is caused.
ReplyDeleteIs the site scheduled? He said he had the gamekeeper's permission - no mention there of the landowner that I heard.
ReplyDeleteAccording to this, the site is SCHEDULED https://www.forestryengland.uk/sites/default/files/documents/Hampshire%20Downs%20Forest%20Plan%20West%20Wood.pdf (p. 2)
ReplyDeleteVery much scheduled! https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1001908
ReplyDelete