tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174756573570334952.post4301774788367615985..comments2024-03-27T04:46:33.198-07:00Comments on Portable Antiquity Collecting and Heritage Issues: Debate or no debate?Paul Barfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443302899233809948noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174756573570334952.post-12977053534071369262010-01-10T00:23:45.307-08:002010-01-10T00:23:45.307-08:00Thanks for the link for the pic.
GryphonThanks for the link for the pic.<br /><br />GryphonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174756573570334952.post-83590411131773541182009-09-28T12:34:32.242-07:002009-09-28T12:34:32.242-07:00Would they then do so under the same conditions? A...Would they then do so under the same conditions? As part of an organized project in co-operation with the conservation sevices and on contract, no digging up of the finds detected by this "geophysical survey", no keeping of finds and <b>no selling them on eBay</b>? The latter is the way some metal detector users recoup their costs, is it not? So do we deduct that from the earnings you'd like us all to give them? <br /><br />It is a fundamental misundertsnding that "metal detecting" is just about "detecting" metal. The name is deliberately misleading. It is a sly misnomer. This is why I call it artefact hunting. That is what "metal detectorists" are doing, they are detecting and DIGGING. If "metal detectng" consisted of just putting dots on a site plan and was not intrusive, then there would be no problems with "metal detecting". But that is not what the hobby is about. It is about digging up and collecting portable antiquities, an erosive and therefore archaeologically destructive process. <br /> <br />Now tell me, how much do you think was the "hourly rate" of the archaeologists who dug up 800 of the Staffordshire Hoard? The whole dig cost 25k. Half of ALL the value of the 800 or so items they dug up goes into Mr Herbert's pocket because after digging the stuff up himself for FIVE WHOLE DAYS he finally picked up the phone. So you reckon the hourly rate those diggers got was the same as the value of the finds they handed in so Mr Herbert can get his cash? How much do you think archaeologists earn in Britain an hour then? <br /><br />The point is artefact hunters deliberately go out to find valuable objects, either to keep themselves or to sell. If its not treasure, they can keep anything they find, they can sell it on eBay or to their mates, they can sell it as bullion/scrap.<br /><br />On <b>eBay.UK</b> tonight, we have <b>2120</b> British antiquities on sale, plus <b>1161</b> Roman ones, <b>763</b> prehistoric ones. Sold by British vendors mosly, coming from metal detectorists and other artefact hunters. That's just tonight Mr Lincoln. Over a year that's a lot of earnings for the metal detector users of Britain I think.More than enough. Far more than they deserve for an exploitive and damaging hobby. Like Mr Welsh, the idea that society owes you a living for ind=ulging in a minority exploitive, erosive and damaging activity is simply false reasoning. Ask the PAS who are supposed to outreach to people like you why metal detectorists cannot have an "hourly rate" for what they do. Ask them. They are your "partners". <br /><br />[Richard Lincoln ("Sheddy") is a metal detectorist. He has a shed].Paul Barfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10443302899233809948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174756573570334952.post-52698330641978942502009-09-28T11:46:42.881-07:002009-09-28T11:46:42.881-07:00Dear Mr Barford,
Archaeologists get paid for the ...Dear Mr Barford,<br /><br />Archaeologists get paid for the time they put in to excavation work but Detectorists do not. I therefore suggest that detectorists should not be paid for the recovery of treasure items but should be paid at the same hourly rate as an archaeological geophysicist for their search time. That would level the playing field nicely.<br /><br />Regards<br /><br />Richard LincolnSheddyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08156650433886478041noreply@blogger.com