Guyeast Wants to Dig "King's Barrow": Not of Archilogical Intrest

 

What a difference a bit of knowledge and a bit of humility makes: Thread on a metal detecting forum near every single archaeologists that supports building a "partnership" with artefact hunters but actually can't be bothered to look:

Pros and cons on metal detecting on mounds or hills. Post by Guyeast (Joined: Thu Mar 04, 2021 7:43 pm) Mon May 10, 2021 3:12 pm

I'm looking at metal detecting some mounds and some hills Can any one give me advice on how to tackle these terrains successfully.

A few people suggested keeping their coils low, or avoiding slipping on the slope, etc., then:

guyeast Mon May 10, 2021 6:55 pm
Thanks so much for your informative experience but I'm actually a little interested in what might be in the centre of the mound and wondered how to tackle it from base from side or directly from top.

Still the members had a bit of difficulty understanding what he's getting at: "I find it easier going detecting side to side on the slopes or hills, walking up and down can be hard work". Allectus is a bit sharper than your average tekkie: "There's something not quite right here. What's the 'mound', how big is it?"...

sweepstick47 Mon May 10, 2021 7:20 pm
How high is this mound? Determining what's at the centre of a 'mound' will be beyond the scope of the average metal detector and of course, it's assumed a check has been made to ensure no form of scheduling is in place'?

Guyeast answers (Mon May 10, 2021 7:37 pm):

Seriously the mounds are like burial mounds I'm renting a metal detector with two boxes. This means a depth of 7' is well within reach but I've never use the metal detector before and watching a tutorial on you tube leaves me with a suspicion that they may not go as deep as proclaimed. A man with a two box on you tube lifting the two box metal detector 5' in the air above a metal object on the ground not buried for demonstration purposes the metal detector failed to pic up the object. But we mustn't be put off and if I guess you have a strong huntch to an area we must see if our suspicions are right.

At this stage you start to wonder if this is not a windup. When Fatcat answers (Mon May 10, 2021 8:24 p) "Sounds like a Basil Brown type job [emoticon]", Guyeast pretends he understands: "Yes I think that too". Kingoftheswingers has read a Code of Practice and is worried (Mon May 10, 2021 9:39 pm): "have you checked to make sure you can go in this area. And got the relevant permissions[?]". Haggz points out that burial mounds are "highly illegal to detect". Mmm.

NickD (Tue May 11, 2021 10:16 am)
guyeast, I think the best advice is that you should do nothing anywhere near these mounds until you have done your research thoroughly. If they are burial mounds they will undoubtedly be scheduled ancient monuments and you may find yourself in a whole world of trouble if you are a found detecting and digging on or near them.

Guy east though has looked it up on a map and thinks that it's not a scheduled site:

Guyeast (Tue May 11, 2021 10:29 am)
Thank so much for your link really is a useful map to veiw especially if your a metal detector I've viewed the map and I guess I'm lucky as the area with the mounds is not in red
But I'm still unsure how to tackle the mound drop a shaft from the top base in wards or remove the whole mound obviously if I get a strong hit.

He does not mention putting it back.

Guyeast (Tue May 11, 2021 10:32 am)
There not scheduled I think they're burial mounds and in my town there was a king that died and his his remains ever found how epic is that if I find him a king of England in my small town

Why do I have a strong suspicion that he's quoting Geoffrey of Monmouth here?

Sweepstick47 (Tue May 11, 2021 10:45am): Have you read and understood the implications of the above replies?

But...

Guyeast (Tue May 11, 2021 11:26 am)
My understanding is and correct me if I'm wrong if you've got permission to detect on land that as yet has not archilogical interest no red flags then you can dig any hits you find

And the Portable Antiquities Scheme kept schtum. This is why we need an Institute of detecting to replace that idle bunch, afraid to do a bit of real "archilogical" outreach.

And by the way, how about adding to their rudimentary "Code of Best Practice for Responsible Metal Detecting in England and Wales" a fifteenth principle:

Do not undertake any work on an archaeological site or assemblage where you have not secured first all the adequate resources to carry out the work properlly and to the highest standards"

The poster above is the same guy who really likes digging deep holes by hand (Post by guyeast » Tue Mar 23, 2021 6:21 pm):

WANTED : looking for a second hand metal detector that goes deep
hi I'm new to this but would like to hire if possible if not buy a second hand metal detector that goes 2, 3 or even 4 metres deep . I know this request is probably not realistic but if any one has one for sale that also does cavity I'd be real interested. thanks and my name's Guy