Thursday 17 October 2013

Jobsworths, Artefact Hunters and the Archaeological Record in the UK and Elsewhere.


Remember the Kidderminster cop-out? I was reminded of this when reading the comments to a short text on Heritage Action's blog, where one "Bremen" (metal detectorist most likely) is berating HA for being "just a lone voice". Today's newspapers bring an analagous situation (with apologies to non-British readers who, mercifully, might not have the foggiest what this is about):
An ex-policeman has said there wasn’t a copper in Leeds who didn’t know Jimmy Savile was a pervert”. One of them is reported as limply explaining why he turned his back when he caught Jimmy Savile trying to seduce an underage girl in his car in 1965. He claimed that he was warned that Savile had got friends in high places. He was told back at the station, “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave it there”.

What a shame for many young women, that among all those jobsworths in the police who “knew” as long ago as the 1960s, not a single one of them was man enough to be that lone voice who would speak out for their principles and say what they thought about what was going on.

I doubt though that many jobsworth UK archaeologists will pay any heed to the tingling of their ears at that. And Mr Hedge, we are still waiting.

Actually that is an open invitation to any British archaeologist, to come onto this blog next week and tell us all exactly what you think of artefact hunting in England and Wales and the rest of the world, and why, and then be prepared to openly, fairly and frankly discuss it in a public forum under your own name. The PACHI blog does not bite. Neither - I am told - do PAS-partner metal detectorists.


No comments:

 
Creative Commons License
Ten utwór jest dostępny na licencji Creative Commons Uznanie autorstwa-Bez utworów zależnych 3.0 Unported.