When deep ploughing is ransacking

The PAS Guidance is clear: “don’t detect below the disturbed plough soil“. So are the Guidelines for Landowners: “if requested by a finder deep-ploughing should be resisted.”  Trouble is, most detectorists don’t care about doing right – why else are more than 90% of recordable finds not reported? And why else do we get outrageous public statements like this:

“Have you got a permission that’s stopped producing? If you get on well with the farmer why not ask them very, very nicely if they will drive their deepest plow over it for you. Might take a bit of cash incentive but will completely refresh the field”.

And this (just this week, from the organiser of a detecting rally): “The farmer has been persuaded to deep plough and sub soil all worked land so the already productive fields will surely yield more!“

.

The upshot of 20 years of laissez faire: enhanced ransacking by “refreshing” the fields.

 

.
__________________________________________

.

More Heritage Journal views on artefact collecting

.

__________________________________________