Rhiannon
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Edited Oct 08, 2010, 13:44
Re: £2.3m for a Roman helmet
Oct 08, 2010, 12:43
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The cynical bit of me* wonders if anyone who can afford to blow that amount of cash on anything is really doing it for Love or actually for Investment Reasons. Like in the art world. Or people who buy squillion pound vintage cars. Or all sorts of other things. If they really loved the subject they'd want to share it with other people. Ah I'm repeating myself now.
*takes up a lot of the space, it has to be said.
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Howburn Digger
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Re: £2.3m for a Roman helmet
Oct 08, 2010, 14:59
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goffik wrote:
May I just say, of aforementioned heritage thief and destroyer of archaeological context: what a c... What a pri... What a fuc... What a shame. Shame on everyone involved. Terrible precedent.
G x
He was metal detecting legally.
He had permission from the landowner.
The plough has long removed any stratographical context from the field it was found in.
He reported the find to the PAS (though he was under no obligation to).
It was not treasure trove, because the powers that be have decided that only gold, silver and coin hoards are treasure.
He was entitled to sell his find.
The thing of extraordinary beauty has sold for a large sum which the finder and the landowner share.
Good luck to him.
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tjj
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Edited Oct 09, 2010, 02:19
Re: £2.3m for a Roman helmet
Oct 08, 2010, 15:05
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Megalithics wrote: Mustard wrote: Quite. I'm constantly appalled by the slapdash approach we seem to have to heritage in this country. Still, at least we're not Ireland, eh?!
Yeah, we couldn't believe it, they were still bulldozing stone circles there in the 70's.
Maggie & Keith
This is a whole new topic really - I wonder how many ancient circles/sites were destroyed in this country during the 1960/70s when all the new motorways were being driven through.
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tjj
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Edited Oct 08, 2010, 16:29
Re: £2.3m for a Roman helmet
Oct 08, 2010, 15:26
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Oops sorry ... double posted so have deleted.
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Megalithics
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Re: £2.3m for a Roman helmet
Oct 08, 2010, 15:36
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Mustard wrote: Quite. I'm constantly appalled by the slapdash approach we seem to have to heritage in this country. Still, at least we're not Ireland, eh?!
Yeah, we couldn't believe it, they were still bulldozing stone circles there in the 70's.
Maggie & Keith
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Rhiannon
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Edited Oct 08, 2010, 16:53
Re: £2.3m for a Roman helmet
Oct 08, 2010, 15:51
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so you don't care that you'll never have the chance to see it, even though you think it's so wonderful?
(Perhaps we could suggest to the government that the British museum / any museum or art gallery sell off all their stuff to the highest bidder? I believe they have a website for suggestions.)
Besides are you not missing the point, because he could have had his money if it had been raised were it treasure trove. Also he'd still be hugely rich "and good luck to him" if he'd told someone it was there and it'd been excavated properly.
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Howburn Digger
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Re: £2.3m for a Roman helmet
Oct 08, 2010, 15:55
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I'd love to see it. I've seen the pictures of it but to see it in real life would be amazing. It must have been an incredible feeling to find it.
It is a pity that our culture and heritage are up for sale and the only recognised "treasure" is really gold, silver and coin/ axe hoards. The government will use our taxes to pay hundreds of billions for bailing out banks and our culture and heritage get sold to the highest bidder.
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Rhiannon
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"and another thing"
Oct 08, 2010, 15:58
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Surely the context of the find wasn't wholly lost. You could say the same abou the ringlemere cup and they went back and looked at that with some benefit, as I recall. Why be a wanker and refuse to say where he found it. Maybe he couldn't bloody remember. Or perhaps he hopes there'll be another one next to it and he doesn't want another metal=detectorist nicking it.
it's hometime really isn't it. Why am I getting het up about this old chestnut.
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Creyr
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Something you can do...
Oct 08, 2010, 16:09
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IF this has been sold to a foreign buyer write to your MP urging the government to put an export ban on it. This will give Tullie House the opportunity to raise some more money and keep it in Cumbria.
The government could do with some good PR at the moment and this is such an iconic find ( i reckon its iconic impact is akin to tutankhamun's death mask) that they might generate some feel good factor by keeping it here.
Its worth a shot anyway. I'm in Cumbria and wrote to my MP asking for an export ban and an overhaul of the Treasure Law to stop this situation arising again in future....
I read that Christie's auction house were surprised by the impact it had on people who came to view it - many people asking how they could pledge money to Tullie House's bid to keep it here.
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Howburn Digger
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Re: "and another thing"
Oct 08, 2010, 16:11
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The site was visited by archaologists and PAS staff. TV cameras went too.
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"Context of the Find
The helmet's find spot has been visited by local archaeologists and PAS staff, and a preliminary assessment has been made of the discovery site.
So far, previously unknown evidence for human occupation in the immediate vicinity of the find spot has been revealed.
“We very much hope to be able to investigate this further, as it is important to know as much as possible about the context of the find,” said Sally Worrel, National Finds Adviser for PAS."
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I have seen nothing in the press or TV which says the finder refused to co-operate with archaeologists or PAS.
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