By Nigel Swift, Chairman, Heritage Action
A well known metal detectorist has produced a Glossary of Detecting Terms, two of which I’d like to take issue with.
First, under “B” there’s this:
I feel he has made a simple mistake – confusing agreement with sycophancy. For me, metal detecting without reporting all of your recordable finds, which is demonstrably what the vast majority of detectorists do, is the action of a selfish ignoramus. If Paul shares that view and is determined not to pretend otherwise what can I do but agree with him?
Then, under “H” there’s this:
But “Hedge Fodder” is not a phrase used by archaeologists, whether professional or amateur. Archaeology is about digging in the pursuit of all knowledge not selective acquisition of objects. So I see the very use of the phrase as revealing selfishness and ignorance – and what sustains me against 20 years of attacks and personal insults is that I’m confident that virtually every archaeologist, every amateur archaeologist, every Finds Liaison Officer and every thinking person agrees. Historical knowledge is a communal resource and is not something which should be selectively discarded in a hedge by uncaring people.
So there we are Mr Detectorist, you got it wrong. I’m no sycophant, I’m someone who shares Paul’s distaste for knowlege theft – and in that I’m fully supported by all who see cultural knowledge of our past, all of it, as belonging to all of us.
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More Heritage Journal views on artefact collecting
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3 comments
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20/05/2018 at 08:25
Paul Barford
“shares that view and is determined not to pretend otherwise” unlike, it seems, the majority of the so-called “heritage professionals” in the UK who apparently prefer not to rock the boat with metal-detecting ‘partners’ because there are some who’ll show them stuff and the rest will just get abusive. They prefer that over their actual professional obligations to encourage preservation of the archaeological record. But it is good that a few lone voices will put their head over the parapet and say what they think, even if the rest would not dare.
20/05/2018 at 09:03
Edwin Deady
There is another phrase tha has been common in detectorist usage “ getting the stuff out” which sums up their whole approach. Urgency in case somebody else gets it and indifference of context. Would two more words be fittingly added to their lexicon- I is for ignorance. S is for selfish and a bonus, G is for greedy?
20/05/2018 at 09:48
heritageaction
Have you seen this hasty addition?
“Archaeologist
– I was provoked into writing this by one of my subscribers – Megan Fox Thinks Archaeologists Are Too Narrow Minded to Understand History SEE HERE https://www.sciencealert.com/megan-fox-thinks-archaeologists-are-too-narrow-minded-to-understand-history
O is for oiks. Why are these people – a whole greedy uncaring army of them – at the forefront of Britain’s interaction with its buried history? Beats me. PAS calls them amateur archaeologists and they tell farmers what PAS says in order to get access to fields. 95% doesn’t get reported, how can that be acceptable?