After the devastating putdown in Rescue's future policy guidelines of artefact hunting with metal detectors and the inefficiencty of the PAS in rectifying the underlying problems, more canny detectorists may be wondering whether social attitudes may turn against self-centred Collection-Driven Exploitation of the archaeological record when funding for the PAS finally dries up. This could start happening as soon as March 2019 with the end of the PASt Explorers programme coinciding with the onset of Brexausterity in the same month. Some may feel that the end of a golden age of detecting is nigh, and will want to try and hang on as long as possible. With the PAS gone though, it may be difficult to do that. The Scheme gives the hobby an air of legitimacy by making records of a small percentage of the artefacts pocketed by collectors available to the wider public (albeit in less-than-transparent form).The PAS is having meetings about the funding issue and growing tensions with some of the host institutions for the regional branches which will only increase under the pressures of Brexausterity. What is the future of 'metal detecting' in the UK? The wind of change is blowing harder.
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