Thursday 11 June 2020

The Blue Pill of Bloomsbury has Long-term Sideffects


Still on the discussion with the archaeologist that thinks that collection of archaeological objects is just a problem with "nighthawks".... I asked why - when we are investing millions of quid into public outreach by the PAS about portable antiquities - he thinks the whole issue is still so unfamiliar to the person in the street. It shouldn't be by now, surely. If the PAS was telling it like it is. Don O'Meara answers, again blaming the public for not being concerned or informed:
Because it doesn't affect the person on the street(?) but targets people directly involved (landowners, honest metal-detectorists). Love if everyone understood, but we are limited by funds. Personally I think the budget of the PAS is some of the best spent in UK archaeology.
That got him some brownie points in Bloomsbury. It seems to me that he is saying that the heritage is just "our" concern, not the person on the street and that we need to spend the money we have on indulging ourselves and not bothering to try and spread the word. I do not think the money spent on the PAS is some of the best-spent in UK archaeology, it is - in the immortal words of their current Prime Minister "money s****ed up the wall". PAS has lots of funds, but has decided to spend them on one particular thing, it COULD educate the public about the effects of collection-driven exploitation of the archaeological record, but won't. Also, from his talk of "honest collectors" I see Don O'Meara has swallowed the blue pill of Bloomsbury. If only one in eight finds or groups of non-Treasure finds is actually being reported, how many detectorists are truly "honest" as he puts it? That'd be a huge loss after 23 years of archaeological fiddling about and head patting.


4 comments:

Unknown said...

This is another disgraceful misrepresentation. You are using a whole blog to critique a 240 character Tweet.

Paul Barford said...

In what way a "misrepresentation" if I quote (giving the source) and discuss something in more words than allowed in a single tweet. The whole point was the other contributor was not understanding what I was getting at.

Paul Barford said...

It seems from Twitter that "Unknown" is (someone from) The West Cumbria Archaeology Society. I do not generally accept anonymous comments from metal detectorists or anyone else, if you use this blog because you have something to say to my readers, please do them the courtesy of letting them know who is speaking.

Paul Barford said...



"Zablokowano Cię"

Now it seems I am blocked by The West Cumbria Archaeology Society on Twitter, because I questioned some of their beliefs on collection-driven exploitation of the archaeological record - wow.

Who would be a member of such an organisation?

 
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