tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174756573570334952.post3893569470289322604..comments2024-03-27T04:46:33.198-07:00Comments on Portable Antiquity Collecting and Heritage Issues: The NCMD against the Treasure ActPaul Barfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443302899233809948noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174756573570334952.post-39139362414246294252009-03-01T05:11:00.000-08:002009-03-01T05:11:00.000-08:00Yes, I found it. It was right next to a scheduled ...Yes, I found it. It was right next to a scheduled Roman town and they DID keep what they found! Disgusting.<BR/> <BR/>“We need to have a terminology to accurately fit the deed.”<BR/><BR/>Well in that case it was organised mass cultural theft, plain and simple, shown live and falsely portrayed otherwise by not telling the viewers what was happening to all the finds. That must have been deliberately omitted surely as it’s hardly a minor detail that you'd forget to mention, it's crucial.Marcus Preenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03603874627751387853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174756573570334952.post-31152885743123468132009-03-01T02:45:00.000-08:002009-03-01T02:45:00.000-08:00Marcus, I think I know the rally to which you are ...Marcus, I think I know the rally to which you are referring (BBC One Show?), it was roundly criticised (and rightly) in archaeological circles. A most misguided piece of pseudo archaeology.<BR/><BR/>What you say is I think indeed the problem. People talk of "metal detectorists" as if they go out just to "detect/find" metal which they then walk away from leaving it in situ. We need to have a terminology to accurately fit the deed. In fact they are nothing but collectors, and they take away anything of interest to them (and throw away a lot that is not) - which in both cases includes a lot which is of import to the archaeological interpretation of the site. <BR/><BR/>There are considerable problems involving archaeologists in commercial artefact hunting rallies, as any archaeological project should generate an archive, and the things these collectors are taking away should instead be part of that research archive made available for study. A quick record made on a table in the middle of a field and few digital piccies with the mud still on are hardly very useful or archival.<BR/><BR/>I get the idea though that what these NCMD representatives of "responsble metal detecting" a la 1994 were suggesting was actually NOT involving archaeologists - if you read their atrocious letter they portray themselves as above any of that, above the BM and "National Heritage" and their restrictive scheduling. <BR/><BR/>Instead of having fewer sites protected by scheduling and conservation-orientated stewardship schemes, we need more.Paul Barfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10443302899233809948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174756573570334952.post-9302888863367005512009-03-01T01:43:00.000-08:002009-03-01T01:43:00.000-08:00"expert examination".....A couple of questions are..."expert examination".....<BR/><BR/>A couple of questions are begged.<BR/><BR/>Does an "expert" that "examines" include in his remit taking the object home as his own and/or selling it on EBay? <BR/>(There was a televised metal detecting rally which was said to be a collaboration between hundreds of detectorists and some archaeologists. It didn't make it clear but I got the impression the detectorists were allowed to take home nearly everything they found. Is that right? If so, why?)<BR/><BR/>If a scheduled site is threatened by development it would be properly investigated by properly qualified experts (including using metal detectors) wouldn't it?<BR/><BR/>If "rescue archaeology" was required for any other reason on any other scheduled site the same procedure would apply, wouldn't it?<BR/><BR/>If "help" was required from non-archaeologists would not the obvious answer be to issue metal detectors to members of the local archaeology society? Just as expert (probably more so) and they wouldn't want to take the stuff home.Marcus Preenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03603874627751387853noreply@blogger.com