The Long Man of Wilmington and a massive heritage damage cover-up!

This bit of nonsense, putting a mask on the Long Man of Wilmington, “as a joke” …

… has prompted lots of “official” condemnation.  It’s “an affront to those who maintain this heritage asset for the enjoyment of all” [The Police] and “We’re incredibly saddened that someone has deliberately damaged the Long Man of Wilmington” [Simon Dowe, chief executive of Sussex Archaeological Society}.

On the other hand, crass and unfunny though it is, it happens to be reversible whereas 20,000 detectorists not reporting their finds is also crass and unfunny but also massively damaging, and in every case entirely irreversible. So where’s the cacophony of official condemnation of THAT?

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More Heritage Journal views on artefact collecting
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