Archaeosoup: What do Archaeologists REALLY Think of Metal Detecting?
Published in the public domain on You Tube by Archaeology Soup, 13 Sept 2018
I have not time to comment on individual points, a brave effort by Marc Barkman-Astles, attempting to present both sides... except why does an archaeologist muddle PAS and the Treasure Act? When is he going to let 'Nazi War Diggers' go? (And yes, there are people who salvage and collect old military vehicles including planes.) But above all, are archaeologists all "absolutely stuff obsessed"?
Excavation at Portmahomack, Easter Ross |
There are a whole load of stereotypes and cliches here, some I would say are the fault of the PAS not telling-it-as-it-is.
Above all, I would urge calling a spade a spade and naming the activity what it is: Collection-Driven Exploitation of the Archaeological Record, and then a bit of reflection on those three words:
Collectionthen answer the question....
Driven
Exploitation
Also note that the member of public in Flanders with a question about metal detector use did not turn to Pieterjan Deckers doing 'outreach' about CDE in Flanders, but a British archaeologist on You Tube. It seems Dr Deckers is too far up his ivory tower to be a relevance in his own country.
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