Them's Jus' Big GOPHERS

"Why heck", says Farmhand Clem, hitching his thumbs behind the straps of his dungarees, "I've sin this all before", he says, spitting. "Those dangfool iv'ry tower academicks, they don' know nuffin' ! They'm not metal detecting holes, they'm gopher holes!"

Hearing this, Buckwheat Brad gets up onto the back of his tractor: "Why this is a case of Facts or Assumptions innit?" He goes on, having gathered an audience, gazing at him with slack-jawed attention as he went on in that high squeaky singsong of his:

"While it may well be true that detectorists were responsible for this damage, my question is WHO made this determination, and how can they know that “hundreds” of artifacts were taken? Call me a ”doubting Thomas” but I am just a little suspicious of how the original AP article is worded, and how it gained so much traction. Maybe it’s because I’ve seen this type of thing so many times in the past. Look for conservationists to have a field day with this one. Another “negative” for their files. 

Of course Buckwheat Brad cannot get it into his head it's not about the artefacts being found and taken, but the holes being dug into the archaeological record. So have a look at the holes yourself, what do you think, unscrupulous metal detectorists targeting signals or random gophers digging vertically in the dust and then filling the holes in?

Documenting the damage - detail (Photo: Zeke Robinson)

Then have another look at Clem and Buck's discourse, is there a single sign there that they are at all shocked or dismayed about the destruction of historical evidence? Is there the slightest indication that they vehemently hope these people will be caught and made to accept responsibility for what they did/have done? That they'd like their fellows to help catch them? Well, heck, no. All they are worried about is that somebody will "see" this story and use it to point out that artefact hunting does damage sites.