Christopher Sparey-Green,
Metal-detecting versus real archaeology', Guardian
Letters
Thu 4 Jun 2020
Archaeology is not metal-detecting – the discovery of objects is not the aim, however “valuable” an item or hoard may appear to be [...]
The use of the term “treasure” in the name of English and Welsh legislation is highly misleading, only fostering views such as that of the National Council for Metal Detecting that a find is akin to “opening a Christmas present”.
As a professional archaeologist, I approve of the antiquities systems in Ireland and Scotland, and would advocate that the use of an electronic device to detect lost metal should be licensed.
A bit of an odd text "archaeology is not metal-detecting" eh? Why did he not write:
metal-detecting is not archaeology? I don't see the point he's making. Also the term 'Treasure' also is used in legislation in Scotland (and Northern Ireland). But hey: As a professional archaeologist, I approve of the antiquities systems in [the Republic? of] Ireland and Scotland,
and would advocate that the use of an electronic device to detect lost metal should be licensed. Oh yes. Now just persuade 5000 of your sit-on-their-arse-and-say-nothing colleagues and make a fuss in Whitehall and we'll get somewhere.
5 comments:
Define "licensed".
If it means a £20 bit of paper with some platitudes on to wave at landowners I see no point as people unfit to be licensed will apply for one in droves.
If it means project-based, following a plan, then fine.
The former is what both architects and detectorists mean, I fear.
Anyone who suggested the latter on a detecting forum would cause a furious reaction. Do try it, Paul. (Or Michael).
Well, I do not think the archaeologist who wrote that really knows what he means anyway. And what the blazes does he mean by "lost metal"?
Paul, I see you tried to make a rational point on an exploiter's blog using my name because your name has been "banned" from there. As a result, said exploiter is telling his supporters that I'm you.
What can I say? I'm not, and can prove it and have multiple witnesses who can attest to the fact (but frankly who or what he and his friends think I am is neither here nor there).
What a boorish prat, boasting that his piss-poor blog allows people to post from their own account but under an assumed name (!). Oh some fun could be had with that. Well Brian, all I can say is next time I am in England we must go for a beer together just to make sure we are not identical twins separated at birth. Mr Howland gives me the impression that he is a crass, foul-mouthed moron, so we'll not invite him.
So, since he seems to think that my concern for the historical environment makes me a crypto-communist, he's just got a comment from Nikita Sergiyevicz thanking him for all he has done in supporting Brexit, and then another one from Abraham Lincoln (also writing from Warsaw) saying that “The fascists of the future will tweet a lot of made up Winston Churchill quotes” (Proud-to-be-a-Brexiteer Howland has an unchecked made up Churchill quote on the front of his blog like the mouthy lout he is). I doubt he'll think that I am either, both are dead and Howland is hardly important enough for anyone to be making the effort to write to him from beyond the grave.
Nevertheless we will note that the question raised about why those allegedly "well-connected archaeologists" would be writing to a former bus driver remains unanswered.
What can I say?
Post a Comment