The “Stop Taking Our Past” (STOP) Campaign of the 1970s failed to align our laws with those in the rest of the world which curb unstructured artefact hunting. Hence anyone in England and Wales can still legally dig up and keep almost anything and tell no-one – and thousands do. It’s hard to see the status quo changing soon as it’s supported on three massive pillars: inertia, reluctance to admit Britain’s mistake and defence of vested interests. The first two have weakened in recent years but the third grows ever more blatant.
Doubtless things will change one day but meanwhile the damage that prompted the original STOP campaign continues unabated. Most finds still go unreported and our past is still being taken. So who can deny that for as long as Britain chooses not to regulate the activity a NEW “Stop Taking Our Past” campaign is needed – and which archaeologist could fail to support it if this time it calls not for an end to detecting but an end to non-reporting?
Here’s a flyer that says it all. If you’re a history lover, archaeologist or ethical detectorist please spread the word. Why wouldn’t you?
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Update 7 February 2012:
The nSTOP Campaign (new Stop Taking Our Past Campaign) just got a big boost. Well two actually. Mr Shane Rear, owner of the (“premier”) UK metal detecting forum – Detectorist.co.uk – tweeted to the CBA’s Mike Heyworth, Culture Minister Jeremy Hunt and English Heritage asking: “Can you confirm you have given endorsement and ok’d to state endorsement on this flyer?” to which Dr Heywoth has replied “I’ve had no contact with Heritage Action re new STOP campaign, but I support the point they are making”. We confidently anticipate similar responses from the others since all the flyer says is that they don’t support metal detecting without reporting all finds to the Portable Antiquities Scheme, which is not un-adjacent to stating the Pope is against Sin.
So we can take some satisfaction from the fact that despite being nobodies and no-account heritage busybodies as we’ve been variously described, it is beyond dispute that our central complaint against artefact hunting equates with what official bodies believe.
But we mentioned TWO big boosts. Well the other one comes from the detectorists. We concluded the article with “If you’re a history lover, archaeologist or ethical detectorist please spread the word. Why wouldn’t you?” Yet so far we have seen zero support for nSTOP from detectorists. Which is quite a low number out of eight thousand. All we’ve seen is three detectorists (two in our Comments plus Mr Rear) clearly trying to undermine the nCampaign. So why do we see that as a boost? Well, PAS exists on the basis things will get ever-better whereas we have been saying no, a ceiling has been reached. The stats tend to show that’s true. But this is the worst bit: responsible, “ethical” detectorists display a clan loyalty towards their non-reporting colleagues that makes them unwilling to support serious action to improve things – even such entirely harmless, entirely beneficial initiatives such as this.
So that’s why we claim a second boost. The value of the nCampaign is being illustrated by the lack of support it is attracting from detectorists, indicating in our view a reality that The Establishment hasn’t been publicly acknowledging but which it now has to confront: a lot of (most?) detectorists will NEVER properly co-operate if at all, however harmless the request (such as this one) – and in addition those who DO believe in recording seem to rank group solidarity and the freedom of their colleagues not to do so above the interests of archaeology. Irrational yes, you can’t support recording AND support non-recording by others, but how else can their silence be interpreted? The mantra “it will get better in time” hasn’t been heard in official circles for a long time now so maybe the truth HAS dawned, but has yet to be admitted?
PS ………………
English Heritage have now tweeted their answer to Mr Rear: “We advocate responsible detecting & reporting of all finds but we are not aware of the new STOP campaign & have not signed up to it” to which Mr Rear has replied (still conspicuously anxious to get them to appear opposed to the aim of the nSTOP Campaign) “Thank you for your clarification, it is as I thought and will EH be asking for the endorsement to be removed?”
Er, no Mr Rear, they won’t be. They didn’t sign up to it as they weren’t asked to as there was no need. The flyer wording informs landowners of what the official bodies have publicly announced that they think (and EH has just reiterated it for you with admirable clarity) . So there is as much chance of them telling us to remove their name from it as there is for the Vatican to tell us to desist from saying the Pope’s against Sin. Get it? (Of course you do!) .
PPS, 11/12/2012…. writing in our Comments another detectorist, anxious to claim we were wrong to say our campaign reflected what The Archaeological Establishment believes, opined that he was sure that “some of those listed will be contacting you in the coming days asking you to remove reference to them in your flyer.” That was ten months ago and we have received no such requests.
QED!
To repeat, the campaign does indeed reflect exactly what The Archaeological Establishment believes is right. Landowners should treat with extreme caution any detectorist, forum owner, Metal Detecting Federation Chairman, Treasure Hunter or “Amateur Archaeologist” at their door who tries to claim otherwise for any reason whatsoever.
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More Heritage Action views on metal detecting and artefact collecting
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The Heritage Journal 
14 comments
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31/01/2012 at 13:07
jon
As a metal detectorist ALL finds are recorded and lets remember that thousands do record finds as well, and MANY new sites are discovered by metal detectorists which would otherwise lay undiscovered and lost to farming and development.
Come to think of it, how many historical sites have been lost to development / motor ways etc.
31/01/2012 at 14:24
heritageaction
“As a metal detectorist ALL finds are recorded and lets remember that thousands do record finds as well, and MANY new sites are discovered by metal detectorists which would otherwise lay undiscovered and lost to farming and development.”
Why mention all that, it’s hardly relevant is it? Surely you aren’t opposing a campaign to make sure every landowner knows he should only allows people who report everything to PAS through his gates? That’s all we are proposing. Do you support the NEW STOP Campaign or not?
31/01/2012 at 14:53
J S (@juamei)
Jon, not sure what your point is here? Is it that the thousands of detectorists who do record will be happy to join this campaign?
31/01/2012 at 15:00
heritageaction
We’d certainly hope so else it would mean thousands of “responsible” detectorists were supporting thousands of other detectorists to act irresponsibly over reporting to PAS AND were wanting landowners to be kept in the dark about it!
04/02/2012 at 21:00
Pete
Please, can you show me written confirmation that all the organisations you quote in the campaign poster do support everything you state?
04/02/2012 at 21:14
heritageaction
We can indeed. But first, can you please indicate why you ask? Is it that you doubt it is true or is it that you oppose the campaign?
05/02/2012 at 13:22
Pete
I ask simply because I am pretty sure that some of those you list on your poster would NOT publicly endorse your campaign or allow an implied endorsement to be shown on the poster, So again, do you have written endorsements and permission from those listed to imply they endorse your campaign and use their names on above poster? and if so would you please publicise those written endorsements and permissions.
And no, I do not oppose recording, I totally encourage and suggest ALL detectorists should record, what I do oppose is the use of the non recording angle to attract attention and pursue the real agenda you have regards metal detecting etc.
05/02/2012 at 14:15
heritageaction
Still waiting to hear the answer to whether you support or oppose the new STOP Campaign.
05/02/2012 at 15:17
Pete
I answered your question in my previous reply, and I will repeat I fully support and encourage recording of metal detecting finds and it is the duty of metal detectorists to do so. I cannot and will not support a campaign that DOES have hidden agenda#s and claims to have official endorsement and permissions from organisations to state their official endorsement when the truth of the matter is that you do not .. if I am wrong then please prove me so.
Now, would you be so kind to answer my questions regarding the legitimacy of your listed endorsements. I’m pretty sure that would make more interesting reading than my stance regards your campaign.
05/02/2012 at 16:17
heritageaction
“Now, would you be so kind to answer my questions regarding the legitimacy of your listed endorsements. I’m pretty sure that would make more interesting reading than my stance regards your campaign.”
On the contrary. Your stance is highly relevant as it identifies you as a metal detectorist for no-one else, whether archaeologist, landowner or member of the public would oppose this campaign whatever our supposed “agenda”. Point made and noted by our readers hopefully. Do you not understand that no-one but you and some of your pals could possibly have the nerve to claim “No recording, no permission” wasn’t an entirely desireable aim, fair to the landowner, the archaeology, archaeologists and the Public?
In addition, it is of course pure, irrational and oft-repeated detectorese to imply we have a hidden agenda and that you somehow know it. There is nothing hidden about our aims (why on earth should we hide anything?) but if there was it would be hidden from you so you couldn’t possible know about it . See? Your claim ranks alongside David Icke’s lizard people.
Finally, all the organisations mentioned on the flyer have signed the official Code which specifies only reporting all finds to PAS is responsible. Consequently, they most certainly don’t support detecting without reporting all finds to PAS and we most certainly don’t require their permission to say so. You are of course welcome to write to them all and ask them to publicly state otherwise. Good luck with that but don’t hold your breath and thanks for the chat.
05/02/2012 at 18:05
Pete
As predicted you descend into a diatribe to try and belittle and antagonise the poster.
May I point out that just because the bodies endorsed the code of practice (Some on your list didn’t) does not mean or give you licence to assume or mislead people into thinking they “officially endorse your campaign” Not only is that deceivingly dishonest but on the verge of serious legal issues.
I would consider your claims as I am sure some of those listed will be contacting you in the coming days asking you to remove reference to them in your flyer.
05/02/2012 at 18:38
heritageaction
I assure you there is no need to belittle a metal detectorist that doesn’t want landowners told recording is essential.
As for you being sure some of those listed will be asking us to remove their names, I don’t think even you really believe that, hence your obvious concern.
05/02/2012 at 22:41
Paul Barford
“The government” probably, you know the ones that have put thirteen million quid of public money into a scheme to get all Pete’s tekkie mates recording and give them somewhere to do so.
Interesting though the implication that if detectorists feel that these people do not actually support only the metal detecting which leads to the recording of previously unknown finds, they are not going to support the campaign… So the whole milieu only records when told to do so by somebody else, or is it because because they think it is the right thing to do? As “Pete” says a duty.
06/02/2012 at 06:26
heritageaction
A duty! Well as you know Paul, the prospect of landowners hearing anything about metal detecting from anyone except some random self-interested bloke at the door fills many metal detectorists with horror. Remember the threats to strike if PAS issued advice to landowners without detectorists being given the opportunity to emasculate it?
I’ll bet you a bag of gold staters my granny left me that there’ll be demands for PAS to tell us to remove their name from our flyer. Or Else! Pitiful. As if they would or could. As a matter of fact, shock horror, not just PAS but all the others are already fully supportive of the new STOP campaign by virtue of their declaration that to be responsible you need to report all finds.
The only valid reason they could have for asking us to remove their names from our flyer would be if they had withdrawn their support for the official Code! Until then we are perfectly entitled to advise landowners “Please, no recording, no permission” and to say that all those organisations fully agree. And we shall. It’s just a shame that they have to leave it to us to say what they as archaeologists can’t possible disagree with. What a shambles Britain has got itself in over artefact hunting, full of inconsistencies, irrationalities and unjustified silences which have the overall effect of putting parts of The Establishment in league with detectorists in keeping landowners from being properly informed – and now “Pete” reckons some of them are going to write to us to publicly demonstrate they’re in on it!