Sunday 11 December 2022

British Metal Detectorist: Artefact Recovery Easier After Bulldozing





Metal Detectorist John Doe from North Essex has problems with the difficulty of digging and filling in holes that seems to be a strain on his back, he proposes a solution in the comments to another post here (9 December 2022 at 13:14):
I agree completely with your comments regarding the number of holes dug over a period of time by a metal detectorist. That problem would be solved very quickly were we to use [...] the bulldozer. One pass with lowered scraper blade would more than likely leave most coins and artifacts (sic) on, or near the surface thus obviating the need for unsightly little six-inch deep holes to be dug. Many thanks for drawing my attention to, and my remedy for, a most annoying practice.
This is of course the technique applied in metal detecting in Bulgaria to great effect. This is why we need an archaeological liaiason organization to explain to the less cognitively endowed blokes with metal detectors the difference between responsible behaviour and simple destruction. Quite clearly the existing Portable Antiquities Scheme is totally not up to the task that a nember of the hobby that they have been outreaching to over a quarter of a century can get it into his head to post something like that in the public domain. Either the PAS needs to be scrapped, or artefact hunting with a metal detector subjected to a permit system like in other areas of our continent.

Vignette: What seems to be looting with the use of bulldozers, north of Simferopol, Crimea (Google Earth, for illustrative purposes only) 

2 comments:

Brian Mattick said...

Indeed. A "permit system" for a particular purpose, place, and time rather than the loose term "license" which seems to be bandied about.
A Permit to behave, not a License to misbehave!

Hougenai said...

Makes me wonder how long it will be before we see a UK Rally advertised using 'Scraped topsoil method' as a selling point.

 
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