Jane
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Encouraging responsible metal detecting
Jul 27, 2005, 22:13
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Heritage Action has launched a new campaign to encourage responsible metal detecting.
http://www.heritageaction.org/?page=theheritagejournal
What do people think? I suspect that on here, we may be (mostly) preaching to the converted.
J
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Ishmael
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Re: Encouraging responsible metal detecting
Jul 27, 2005, 22:23
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Great. Got meself a C-Scope and a hand held Gopher and permission from some landowners outside the WHS to search their fields in the autumn.
Usual 50 -50 deal, if I find a pot of gold I get to keep the pot!
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Pilgrim
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Re: Encouraging responsible metal detecting
Jul 27, 2005, 22:59
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Hi, Jane,
A step into this potential minefield is to be applauded - especially by Heritage Action - as I believe that this campaign is - sadly - important and neccessary, if only to keep the problem afloat in the minds of the goldfish majority. However, the fly in the ointment is always going to be the self-regulation of a tranche of people who have little or no regard for the relationship between their find and the context in which they found it: magpies in wellies. I have, therefore, come to the conclusion that only an outright ban of the hobby will bring any effect. (I do know that some great finds have been discovered as a consequence of detectorists, and some great work has been done, but the weight of the con's is greater than the pro's IMO).
Good Luck - I wish I was benificent as you lot!
Peace
Pilgrim
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Ishmael
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Re: Encouraging responsible metal detecting
Jul 27, 2005, 23:09
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>the weight of the con's is greater than the pro's
Funny that. I see it the other way around. IMHO
Look at all the amazing finds that Have come up by responsible detectorists.
Do you really think a hoard of torcs like the Snettisham hoard could be plundered and sold on the blackmarket without it coming to public attention?
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juamei
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Re: Encouraging responsible metal detecting
Jul 27, 2005, 23:22
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Look how long it took them to put back together the bronze cauldrons and other related items in the horde found near Salisbury.
How many Ringlemere cups are carefully cucooned in cotton wool in some blokes shed? You have no idea. I have no idea.
The fact is, people do find stuff and take it. They don't report it and they never will. That's wrong & something must be done about it.
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juamei
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Re: Encouraging responsible metal detecting
Jul 27, 2005, 23:23
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And yes I know the cup was found with a metal detector.
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Ishmael
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Re: Encouraging responsible metal detecting
Jul 27, 2005, 23:38
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then education not an outright ban is the answer.
stop threatening people and make them more willing to show and share their finds.
I have been shown some amazing finds found by local farmhands recently all found without detectors.
I am currently trying to photograph them and document where and when they were found.
This includes a lot of stone tools but also has metal objects in the collections.
The Antiquarians robbed so much more. Even in the Atkinson Silbury dig the report by Whittle states again and again, "these finds have since been lost"
If I find anything with a MD I will attempt to report it but knowing the local way the local FLO works I doubt anything but a major Gold find would be of interest.
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Littlestone
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Re: Encouraging responsible metal detecting
Jul 27, 2005, 23:42
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>Look at all the amazing finds that Have come up by responsible detectorists.<
Yep, have to agree. Detectorists might not be archaeologists, but what some detectorists have found, and have subsequently deposited in the public domain, has to better than if they had never been found at all.
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Moth
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Re: Encouraging responsible metal detecting
Jul 28, 2005, 00:40
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>stop threatening people and make them more willing to show and share their finds.
That's exactly what Nigel's been trying to do for over a year (with the help of some detectorists who DO report their finds to PAS) and it's still part of HA's aims.
love
Moth
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Ishmael
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Re: Encouraging responsible metal detecting
Jul 28, 2005, 01:06
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and in that year how many Finds have HA been shown?
Just curious to know if you have made any real headway.
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