The Government’s lax COVID regulation for detecting rallies (hundreds of people allowed so long as “social interaction limited to groups of six or less which do not mingle”) has allowed large scale events to continue weekly. Just today 260 detectorists are in Wilsford, Wiltshire “next to and joining the Roman hoard field and fields we had the 12 silver densrius coins and hundreds of Roman bronze , hammered coins , Axe heads , Celtic units , Saxon & Roman brooches“.
At present rallies carry an obvious health risk for both participants and locals (see yesterday’s article). Plus, at all times, they cause massive heritage damage through non-reporting of finds, Their only “defence” is they reveal hidden history but non-reporting shows the opposite and a recent announcement by Let’s Go Digging, the company running today’s event, reveals the true motivation: “Anything you find under £3000 is yours without having to split with farmers“.
Rallies really have no place in a self-respecting society and their rarity elsewhere proves the point – 99% of the world’s metal detecting rallies take place here in Britain. The Government should find a way to make them legally impossible – and would do so if only PAS would advise them to. They still could, today, with a simple phone call.
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A very British scene
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More Heritage Journal views on artefact collecting
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The Heritage Journal 
24 comments
27/09/2020 at 13:06
Hywel Smith
So what archaeology is being damaged?
How do u know that the funds are not being recorded?
Yep all metal detectorists are rich! I don’t think so have you seen how much it is to buy a metal detector!
And the true motivation you say is great have you actually spoken to one?
I’m sure any self respecting society wouldn’t want to ban a person free right to a hobby that brings so much to the archeology world I wonder how many great discoveries wouldn’t be in museums or protected?
27/09/2020 at 13:54
Taffy Gardener
At least Detectorists Don’t dig up graves ,Take the bones of thousands of people that have been buried to suit their religion,Put them in drawers of museum basements and forgotten, The majority of the hoards on show have been found by detectorists, When they find items on archy digs,They don’t get the credit,
27/09/2020 at 19:01
Thor Halfreðurson
The vast majority of important metallic finds made in the last 50 years have been made by detectorists. If it wasn’t for metal detectorists, modern archaeology and its understanding of historical contexts would still be stuck in the 1950s. The Portable Antiquities Scheme understands this, which is why its officers regularly attend organised digs and club meetings across the country.
The reason many (though not all) archaeologists are against metal detecting, is nothing but academic petulance. They dislike the fact that many detectorists make finds of greater historical importance whilst simply enjoying their hobby than the majority of archaeologists could ever make in a lifetime career. They also dislike the fact that many detectorists are far more expert in their chosen fields than themselves.
27/09/2020 at 20:05
paulintheswimhotmailcom
Never…in the field of human history…has so much been stolen…from so many…by so few…and for so little real understanding…or real appreciation…or gain for Britain’s historical record…and all for just 30 pieces of silver!
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27/09/2020 at 20:29
heritageaction
I’ve never met an archaeologist who says that, and I wonder, if it was true, how the blue blazes you’d know? Telepathy? Fantasy? Wot?
27/09/2020 at 21:13
Cajk Het Reppir
What tosser wrote this shite heading , try using spell checker as well ya pratt!
27/09/2020 at 21:30
blackcountryprintwear
Just another “I studied for years and you find lots more than me” comment. Almost have to feel sorry for someone so troubled.
27/09/2020 at 23:40
Alistair Campbell
Hang on a moment, aren’t museums across the land currently having to give items back they looted over the years? If not for detectorists they would have very little left once all the stuff they stole gets returned! Though seriously it might be a good idea if Archaeologists got off their backsides, picked up a metal detector and went to clubs – both to see what the hobby is about and maybe bridge the gap a little! I have noticed the Archaeologists who are the most anti towards metal detecting are usually those that are the least successful in their own field, they can usually be identified by their insistence on using BCE & CE instead of the historically and contextually proper BC and AD – which shows their willingness to rewrite history instead of being professionally unbiased. THEREBY proving they are fundamentally unfit to be the custodians of our history anyway. High castles people – high castles!
28/09/2020 at 06:13
shazgan
I believe the Roman hoard, the 12 silver densrius coins and hundreds of Roman bronze , hammered coins , Axe heads , Celtic units , Saxon & Roman brooches in the adjacent field were found by detectorists.
Museums are displaying many artifacts found by detectorists. Just a few weeks ago a detectorists in Scotland found a historical treasure, that will be placed in a Museum. A detectorists couple in the isle of wight, found historical artifacts on a beach and they gave it to the local museum. Most hoards have been found by detectorists. Lots of history would not of been found if it wasn’t for detectorists.
Any finds, unless rubbish, found on these digs are reported to the Flo.
I think perhaps you should have come over and talked to any of us detectorists on this dig, instead of reporting your lies.
As for sharing anything over £3000 with the farmer, this is because he has been paid for us to detect on his land , but this would still be reported to the flo( finds liason officer).
I do this hobby the love of history.
28/09/2020 at 09:03
alexandersavage20
So let’s get this right Ive a degree in Archeology for 6 years over 25 years as a metal detectorist
Who’s doing the most damage? the archeologists, the detectorist or the farmer with his plough, I’d go with the farmer regardless, I’ve seen and heard of Archy’s pocketing historical finds and things of value, it’s just tit for tat, their are gonna be bad eggs in every sector of every hobby or job or organisation, just so happens they always blame the detectorist because half the archeologists can’t get past the degrees, they haven’t done enough work to move to a MD or even a PhD, so will never be recognized in their fields along comes the detectorist who has put in the man power and leg work for years of searching and comes across a hoard or coins or axe heads or parts of a horse and chariot like what was found down on the Pembrokeshire coast by a friend, and they get the recognition as so they should you don’t need to get it to 50 grand debt for this to happen a degree in Archeology is worthless unless you are 100 in your Field.
I tried to bridge the gap a few times between Archy’s and detectorists but heritage sectors and trust are lazy and set in their ways over paid hypocrites who just sit on their hand’s and do nothing but moan and complain and when they need to find a Scape goat it’s blame the detectorist I’ve seen more illegal and gravely immoral activities in Archeology than my years Detecting they should be ashamed.
28/09/2020 at 09:20
heritageaction
We’re mostly not farmers and mostly not archaeologists (I’m neither), we’re “ordinary people caring for extraordinary places” and we all think every detectorist should report every find the PAS wants reported or not be in the fields. That’s all. How the heck can that be wrong?
28/09/2020 at 09:29
alexandersavage20
A vast majority of detectorists do in my field yes you will get the odd few that don’t, but regardless I’ve seen Archeologist and professors alike stealing heritage when it’s found, there are bad eggs in every sector and it wouldn’t surprise me if there was also in Pas. I’ve seen a lot being declared and a lot of artifacts go missing to, never too be seen again doesn’t matter what field your in their will always be those people who don’t follow the guidelines it just falls down to common decency and honesty but unfortunately in all sectors Thier will be greed and pilfering.
28/09/2020 at 09:40
alexandersavage20
A vast majority of detectorists do in my field yes you will get the odd few that don’t, but regardless I’ve seen Archeologist and professors alike stealing heritage when it’s found, there are bad eggs in every sector and it wouldn’t surprise me if there was also in Pas. I’ve seen a lot being declared and a lot of artifacts go missing to, never too be seen again doesn’t matter what field your in their will always be those people who don’t follow the guidelines it just falls down to common decency and honesty but unfortunately in all sectors Thier will be greed and pilfering.
28/09/2020 at 09:54
heritageaction
“No worse than…” or “not as bad as” are dishonest defences for wrongdoing. As is “you will get the odd few that don’t”. It’s not the odd few, and since you don’t watch 27,000 people constantly you have zero justification for saying it. What DOES count are the numbers reported versus the number who go detecting and that says it all. Unless of course you believe a majority of detectorists never find anything. We don’t think that’s the case. Aren’t we nasty!
28/09/2020 at 10:04
heritageaction
“As for sharing anything over £3000 with the farmer, this is because he has been paid for us to detect on his land , but this would still be reported to the flo”. Oh really? So every one of those detectorists, if they found something worth more than £3K would tell the farmer, not pocket it and not tell the FLO lest the farmer found out? No, you know that’s not true, the money obviously DOES increase non-recording.
28/09/2020 at 10:10
alexandersavage20
Very much so I think you have a bitterness about detectorists plain and simple, I don’t think you actually care about heritage Which funnily enough is my sector, so your saying that 27000 people find something of historical significance every time they go out detecting🤣 you can’t be serious. The law states anything of historical significance and is over 300 year’s old has to be declared but the vast majority of items found don’t fall into that bracket so hence don’t have to be declared plain and simple. I know of Many many detectorists who can go out and not find anything for weeks even months just trash that people have discarded. It seems you have zero knowledge of detectorists and Detecting itself, so to say I have no justification for watching 27,000 people Which your right I don’t but have way more experience than you do, then to say you don’t believe that is the case wheres your justification for believing that we don’t
28/09/2020 at 10:25
heritageaction
“so your saying that 27000 people find something of historical significance every time they go out detecting”.
Not at all. I said no such thing, why wilfully misinterpret what I said. But nothing in a year, which is what PAS’s numbers suggest applies to so many of them? It’s preposterous.
Anyway, ask PAS if they think most detectorists report all their recordable finds. I’m happy to be guided by them. As you should be.
28/09/2020 at 10:28
heritageaction
“I think you have a bitterness about detectorists plain and simple”.
Yes, guilty as charged. I think non-reporting is despicable. How about you?
28/09/2020 at 10:35
alexandersavage20
Absolutely, if it the artifact in question falls under the treasure act then yes absolutely report but if it does not then no you don’t have to because a lot of the time detectorists don’t find things of historical significance and importance I don’t think you can actually grasp where I’m coming from or ever will you seem set in your ways do you acknowledge that Archeologists and people in different sectors steal our history in some shape or form either from excavations or at the local museums?
28/09/2020 at 11:00
heritageaction
Point missed. 99.9% of recordable finds don’t come under the Treasure Act so needn’t be reported by law but ought to be, morally, yet largely aren’t. That’s what’s despicable.
Misinterpreting and dissembling won’t change that reality one iota.
28/09/2020 at 11:13
alexandersavage20
Still haven’t answered the question do you think Archeologists, historians, people that work in heritage sectors don’t steal artifacts? And it’s just detectorists?
28/09/2020 at 11:18
heritageaction
Of course they do. But it’s a matter of scale. As you must know very well.
Plus, if they steal artefacts they are committing a crime and can be punished if caught, whereas the tens of thousands ofdetectorists who steal the nations knowledge do so legally. In this country anyway. It’s annoying. And despicable.
28/09/2020 at 11:33
alexandersavage20
Ohhhh so it’s a matter of scale regardless of who’s stealing the artifacts legally or illegally it’s all about scale I see, can u back this up with any figures whatsoever or are you just assuming that just because there are a certain amount of people detecting in the UK that everyone of those people find something worth declaring or are you just assuming they do find stuff and just don’t declare it
28/09/2020 at 11:43
heritageaction
This is just getting silly. The figures for the number of finds reported are there in the public domain. If you want to maintain that indicates 27,000 people are reporting all they find you will have to maintain most detectorists find nothing. Good luck with that. I think this thread has gone as far as it usefully can, so good day.