Metal detecting and the CBA’s new leadership

Neil Redfern, the CBA’s new Chief Executive is “looking forward to strengthening our role in championing archaeology.” Hopefully, that doesn’t include non-archaeology. The need to avoid blurring la différence is now acute, e.g:

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• 13 years after The One Show aired the Durobivae detecting rally debacle live over 2 nights as if it was archaeology they just devoted another 2 nights to treasure hunting while ignoring the damage it does. Crazy.
  
• The advance publicity for a forthcoming European “conference” on detecting uses the words “avocational” and “cooperative” but not the more relevant terms “random”, “selective” and “acquisitive”. Also crazy.

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We trust the CBA will continue to promote archaeology alone, not what isn’t. In just a few decades things have deteriorated: Sir Mortimer Wheeler interacted with true amateur archaeologists whereas today’s archaeologists merely cope with the results of random, selective and acquisitive actions.

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More Heritage Journal views on artefact collecting
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