Metal detecting: demolishing the excuses

We have been shocked to discover the National Council for Metal Detecting provides a set of 3 concocted excuses for people who dig up a hoard without waiting for an archaeologist. Apart from re-iterating that doing such a thing would definitely mean they forfeit a reward, the pending Treasure Act reforms ought to confront these excuses and demolish them:

1. “you may be on a building site which is due to be bulldozed”. No, you won’t be. Builders almost never agree to that.
2.  “the landowner may be insisting it is removed immediately.” No, he won’t. Why should he, unless you’ve lied to him about the correct procedure.
3. “you may be on a rally with lots of prying eyes”. So what? Your duty, as a half-decent citizen who wants a reward, is to PROTECT the hoard until archaeologists can deal with it. (There are loads of ways as we’ve explained ad nauseam).

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Shouldn’t the central purpose of the Treasure Act reforms be to end these uniquely British outrages for which the NCMD is supplying ready-made excuses?

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More Heritage Journal views on artefact collecting
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