Wednesday 16 July 2014

UK Metal Detectorists Illegally Targeted Historic Eynsford Castle


UK Police search for metal detectorists who have illegally targeted historic Eynsford Castle. Do you know them, have you seen them? 
Officers are appealing for witnesses who saw offenders digging a series of holes in the lawns around the ancient monument. The damage – sections of grass carefully cut and rolled back to expose the soil beneath – is consistent with metal detector activity, they say. The grounds, off Eynsford High Street, were hit between June 1 and July 2. [...] The castle - one of the earliest of its kind in England - dates back to the 11th century and is considered special because it was largely undisturbed by later building activity. 
There are literally tens of thousands of acres of artefact-rich fields around the site, but obviously someone decided that this area would be more 'productive'. Artefact hunting destroys archaeological evidence wherever you do it - independent of its legal status.

UPDATE 17th July 2014
David Gill makes the same point:
The grounds of Eynsford Castle in Kent (not far from Lullingstone Roman Villa) have been pockmarked by what appear to be the telltale signs of metal-detecting. This is a protected site and there can be no excuse for this activity.  Such infringements bring us back to the core issues raised in the forum debate in the Papers of the Institute of Archaeology [link].
Other British archaeologists are saying nowt.

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