Weekend Wanderers have canceled today’s metal detecting rally in Hampshire because it’s easily accessible from London (Coronavirus Zone 2, High Risk). The organisers say they cannot go ahead with digs “until we feel comfortable that we are doing the right thing.”
By contrast, Let’s Go Digging and “Sovereign Metal Detecting Rallys” (sic) are holding digs today in Gloucestershire and Shropshire respectively, accepting people from the equally accessible areas of Birmingham and the West Midlands (also in Zone 2, High Risk).
Behaviours under the British “voluntary” system vary wildly, which is why it was always wrong-headed and against the national interest. Well, PAS? What price “we need to be pragmatic” today?
.
UPDATE 19/10/20: The Gloucestershire rally went ahead but we understand the Shropshire one was banned.
That makes two rallies banned recently (Pink Wellies and Sovereign) and one shut down by police halfway through (Let’s Go Digging) but one allowed to go ahead and more than one rally per week scheduled for the rest of the year by Let’s Go Digging (consider the takings, health implications and possible unreported heritage that implies).
Is it too much to hope that the archaeological bodies should get round a table with the police and DCMS and sort this out before next week? (Lest PAS are frit to offend detectorists we suggest they ask around and check the detecting forums for once. All detectorists other than the attendees appear to despise the existence of pay-to-dig rallies, so why the blue blazes are they still allowed to happen?)
.
__________________________________________
More Heritage Journal views on artefact collecting
__________________________________________
The Heritage Journal 
8 comments
Comments feed for this article
18/10/2020 at 08:15
Paul Barford (@PortantIssues)
Is there not a good argument here, under ethical grounds, for PAS FLOs to refuse to handle any finds (including Treasure which should be reported directly by the finder to the Coroner) that were generated by any commercial rally that does not FULLY comply with present government guidelines (such as these two)? Or do they as a matter of course consider it perfectly acceptable to handle dugup artefacts obtained in breach of ethics and public interest, for example by artefact hunters and collectors?
18/10/2020 at 11:10
heritageaction
Plus, they can see very clearly from their records that the propensity to record is much lower at rallies and particularly at this sort of rally, so the need for ethical decisions relating to finds from them is pretty limited. Thus, since they gain so few records from them it’s puzzling why they won’t utterly condemn them.
21/10/2020 at 17:44
Hywel Smith
So what ethics are they breaking? Keep business going? Paying bills to keep others going?
As they have put the relevant RA to the authorities and have been given the go ahead what guidelines/rules are they breaking?
If they are going into the local amenities they have to follow the guidelines or they wouldn’t be allowed in.
In the field they are separated and following guidelines.
So what finds do you think are not being recorded?
What do you think is the average amount that detectorists find?
What I would love to see is more FLO’s so they can attend organised digs but it would be impossible due to to the amount of digs held so why don’t you offer your services to record and assist I your own free time?
22/10/2020 at 05:51
heritageaction
PAS has long ceased attending such events because they politely say recording finds at them is “difficult”. There’s a clue to “what ethics are they breaking”. No more please.
22/10/2020 at 09:53
Hywel Smith
Why do they find them difficult poor signal bad weather bogged down with the amount of finds to record?
But if it was the latter then surely that is the evidence that they should attend?
Or are u suggesting that the groups/detectorist are difficult🤔
No, more likely that they have to attend in their own time and thus wouldn’t t be able to claim the expenses that goes with the travel food and won’t be paid for their time. As I know they had a bit of a reshuffle a few years ago.
I am struggling with the ethical part are you saying that by touching the items they would pass on the piteous a virus?
22/10/2020 at 15:44
heritageaction
“I am struggling with the ethical part”.
Indeed you are.
23/10/2020 at 08:52
Hywel Smith
I’m guessing you would rather take the mick than answer my questions and I am struggling do understand the point due to my disability you idiot.
23/10/2020 at 14:40
heritageaction
Quite.