tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174756573570334952.post6823112327238168384..comments2024-03-27T04:46:33.198-07:00Comments on Portable Antiquity Collecting and Heritage Issues: Fincham's "Collaborative network" involving Locals, Sans "Filth"Paul Barfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443302899233809948noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174756573570334952.post-6872495050001922572011-05-28T01:28:36.165-07:002011-05-28T01:28:36.165-07:00“How DO they verify findspots?”
Is there no end t...“How DO they verify findspots?”<br /><br />Is there no end to the awkwardness of your questions? This is not the route to popularity. People will start calling you an archaeologist.<br /><br />As you know very well, they only verify about 0.002% of find spots and for the remaining 9.998% they write down whatever the finder says. We know that the nighthawks invariably quote find spots in a different County (psychology, see?) as a minimum, or even half a continent away. But even worse, a very large number of “legal” find spots are so imprecise as to be useless. Worse still, given the universal detectorists’ paranoia about “others poaching on MY site” it seems pretty likely that a high percentage of the “accurate” ones are completely falsified as well. Well you would, wouldn’t you, given the motivation – or are PAS going to kid us that’s not going to happen on a very large scale because their partners are nearly all fine fellows? <br /><br />All in all it’s an unconvincing basis for holding the database up as pukka. But then, some ladies lie about their age in order to ensure they remain fully funded. I’m told.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174756573570334952.post-3335271658644771162011-05-28T00:36:59.529-07:002011-05-28T00:36:59.529-07:00Oh now you've been and gone and done it Mr Her...Oh now you've been and gone and done it Mr Heritage, now Derek Fincham can say we're talking "filth" again and refuse to discuss it...<br /><br />But good points. I wonder how the PAS would answer the Treasure findspot connundrum (if they were interested in actually keeping the general public informed about issues like that). How DO they verify findspots?Paul Barfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10443302899233809948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174756573570334952.post-23639822601952151392011-05-28T00:22:27.162-07:002011-05-28T00:22:27.162-07:00I suggest that if liberalising metal detecting and...I suggest that if liberalising metal detecting and setting up the PAS had been a positive influence on conservation the system would have been replicated elsewhere long ago in one at least of the world’s 198 countries. That it hasn’t happened says all that needs to be said. Wishful thinking by collectors doth not an effective conservation strategy make.<br /><br />I’d like to add two points to what you said Paul:<br /><br />First, the idea that archaeological excavation of Treasure find spots in UK happens much is of course pure fantasy – where did the idea come from? It is not just the lack of resources but the fact that it is hardly a secret that a main supplier of Treasure items is the nighthawking community – why wouldn’t it be? - who find fencing to the government less risky than to collectors. Naturally they give entirely false findspots. <br /><br />Second, it is startlingly clear from their figures that PAS has become crucially reliant upon metal detecting rallies as a source of “numbers” to justify its own continued funding. That being so, I don’t know if Mr Fincham has ever witnessed a metal detecting rally but I have and he ought to know they are unspeakable crass, a vulgar and destructive assault upon the resource. I would not insult PAS staff by suggesting they don’t agree with that yet the continuation of the Scheme and their employment requires them to attend and pretend there is nothing amiss. If PAS was a lady no amount of press releases would obscure her profession. And Mr Fincham wants to set up similar arrangements elsewhere?! I think he will wait a long time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com