A blog commenting on various aspects of the private collecting and trade in archaeological artefacts today and their effect on the archaeological record.
Well, I'd already tipped off SDG Member privately that he'd get all sorts of bitter opposition if he tried to adopt an ethical stance. I didn't mention the Miss Whiplash imagery though. Amazingly, he is being told that being ethical = capitulation, humiliation and equivalent to having your face rubbed in excrement! I hope Ed Vaizey gets shown that!
"Rather than celebrating the knowledge that has come from these finds ..." (http://culturalpropertyobserver.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/metal-detectorists-10-archaeologists-0.html)
For a lawyer, Peter Tompa appears to have a worryingly fluffy idea of what "knowledge" is. The "knowledge" gained from a contextless object ripped out of the ground without even the basics of forensic examination, and in most cases even without bothering to record it at all, is good enough for him? I dread to think what evidence he would happily accept in a trial case.
Well, I'd already tipped off SDG Member privately that he'd get all sorts of bitter opposition if he tried to adopt an ethical stance. I didn't mention the Miss Whiplash imagery though. Amazingly, he is being told that being ethical = capitulation, humiliation and equivalent to having your face rubbed in excrement! I hope Ed Vaizey gets shown that!
ReplyDeletewell, it certainly makes you wonder where some of these metal detectorists get their ideas from.
ReplyDelete"Rather than celebrating the knowledge that has come from these finds ..." (http://culturalpropertyobserver.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/metal-detectorists-10-archaeologists-0.html)
ReplyDeleteFor a lawyer, Peter Tompa appears to have a worryingly fluffy idea of what "knowledge" is. The "knowledge" gained from a contextless object ripped out of the ground without even the basics of forensic examination, and in most cases even without bothering to record it at all, is good enough for him? I dread to think what evidence he would happily accept in a trial case.
(The REAL David Knell)