Most public landowners disallow metal detecting on their land “unless as part of an archaeological project”. It’s to maximise the knowledge dividend from the activity and minimise the loss. How sensible. But only 8% of land is in public ownership. 92%, including a block of 37 fields near Sunbury upon Thames where today’s massive “Detectival” event is happening, have no such safeguards.
How is this possible, in logic? Is archaeology on privately-owned land less precious? Clearly not. There’s no rational conservation reason why archaeologists shouldn’t be giving the same advice to farmers as they give to public landowners. Yet Detectival is happening. The event highlights an intellectual and physical rift which is very damaging to our national interest and serves only to make Britain look entirely foolish, as much of the world knows very well.
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More Heritage Journal views on artefact collecting
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3 comments
Comments feed for this article
12/06/2021 at 14:46
bneilb25
Why don’t you people get down off your high horses to go and volunteer to log the finds you feel so desperately attached to.
12/06/2021 at 18:31
heritageaction
So you want people who care to search the pockets of those who don’t?
19/06/2021 at 12:48
Martin Wright
[o you want people who care to search the pockets of those who don’t?] YES