Metal Detecting Q&A

[Post-Med Potterer]

Well I am very disappointed in your response. You ask 'what is acceptable', I say so, and then you say 'actually we can't be bothered'. No wonder you are widely regarded as a bunch of vandals.

To me the 'we don't have GPS' is just a cop-out. As I say you can use a tape measure. If not then buy one. Afer all I suspect most serious hobbyists are spending over ?200 on their detector and associated kit...

Celtic XL-15 for ?139.00

Viking VK40 for ?299.00

Or on this dealer's website there are a whole range new 'C-Scope' machines from ?125 for the CS660 to ?475 for the 'Newforce'.

So an extra ?100 or so for a basic handheld GPS is not a huge outlay for someone committed to doing it properly.

If you are not prepared to record accurately than you are not serious about your committment to history. Don't bleat about not being able to do it - if you are serious about wanting to do more than pick artefacts out of the ground then put your money where your mouth is.

Or join a local archaeological society.

[garybrun]

quote:Originally posted by Post-Med Potterer

Well I am very disappointed in your response. You ask 'what is acceptable', I say so, and then you say 'actually we can't be bothered'. No wonder you are widely regarded as a bunch of vandals.

If you are not prepared to record accurately than you are not serious about your committment to history. Don't bleat about not being able to do it - if you are serious about wanting to do more than pick artefacts out of the ground then put your money where your mouth is.

Or join a local archaeological society.

I find you post quite insulting.
John was giving you an honest opinion on the truths of what is and seems to be stumbling blocks between the two different communities and is trying to put forward a view that would hopefully allow debate.
What makes you think you have the "Say So" and that "your view" is the only way?

I tell you what... you pay for all the Md's who cant afford to have a GPS system if you are so concerned and want them to record history accurately. Don't bleat about not being able to do it - if you are serious about wanting to do more than preach about accurate recording then put your money where your mouth is.

Or join a local detecting club.
Please remember this is hobby... not a profession.
If some detectorists wanted to be archaeologists they would have studied the profession. "My way or not at all" mentality will always leave more division. We are trying to educate detectorists not bully them into submission.

http://www.ukdfd.co.uk
Recording OUR heritage for future generations.

[Post-Med Potterer]

Once again the metal detectorists spectacularly miss the point!

I can't be bothered to enter debate with children.

[garybrun]

I am sorry Sir but you are the one who is throwing his rattle out of the pram.
Please tell us what point we are missing...


http://www.ukdfd.co.uk
Recording OUR heritage for future generations.

[the invisible man]

Could I reverse the question and ask which parts you feel are unreasonable or uneccessary? I have always understood that responsible detectorists recorded their findspots, so presumably this was done either by tape or GPS? It is neither difficult nor expensive to obtain a large scale OS map of the given area, and again I had presumed that this was standard practice, along with a bit of background research. Again I presume that you produce a sketch survey of the field in order to plot your finds.

We owe the dead nothing but the truth.

[BAJR Host]

Thanks T.I.M. thats an intersting question and even if you can keep a persoanl record that locates finds it would be useful to both further detecting and the SMR

Another day another WSI?

[john1504]

Thanks for the input Gary.

PMP - Please show the quote where I state that

quote:
Well I am very disappointed in your response. You ask 'what is acceptable', I say so, and then you say 'actually we can't be bothered'. No wonder you are widely regarded as a bunch of vandals.

As Gary stated, I made the point with respect to lone detectorists -

quote:
At present, I can't see any lone detectorist carrying out a full field survey.

Most detectorists, believe it or not, are not in a position to be able to afford a GPS. Many are using detectors which were bought some years ago, usually as a gift or after saving up. So a GPS would be seen as a luxury.

I don't believe I have misunderstood what you said, or

quotepectacularly miss the point!

but I do believe you have not understood what I said.

The problem with detectorists, as far as archaeologists are concerned, is that they don't (or won't) record details of the artefacts they find. So my question was aimed at finding out what information would be needed to satisfy the minimum requirements for recording a find. The answer .... Do a full archaeological survey.
There is no way that any detectorist is going to change from little or no recording to carrying out a full survey (at his/her own expense) to satisfy the demands of a few archaeologists.

So perhaps we can be realistic here. I promise I will fully record and survey every field I work on with my detector, and do what I can to encourage other detectorists to do the same, if you promise to put an end to the use of JCB's during archaeological excavations, enforce the HSE standards on all sites where archaeological digs or watching briefs are being carried out.

Does that sound like a reasonable request? Probably not, but if you were serious about the recording of finds by detectorists, you would say yes and do what you could in order to save the valuable information that would otherwise be lost. If nothing else, it could always be done in the name of co-operation and compromise.

But I am realistic and know that there is no way either of you can pull those sort of strings. So perhaps we can reach some sort of middle ground where detectorists are not drastically changing their methods overnight, yet producing enough information that will enable any future archaeological excavation in the area of the finds to have something to work with.

No detectorist that I know of carries a tape measure around with them when detecting. They do have maps of the fields they search and usually mark on the map the location of the find. Granted, this is not ideal, or even very accurate, but it does show the rough location of the findspot. This, along with a proper identification as provided by a local FLO, should have enough basic information for someone doing basic research into local history.

Do you really believe that if I were to go along to a MD club and tell the members that they now have to carry out a full archaeological survey, including report, before they begin searching, in order to keep the archaeologists happy, I would get a standing ovation? (I probably would, but only so they could throw me out the nearest window)

I hope this has cleared up some points.

[BAJR Host]

And here I will add the link

http://www.bajr.org/Documents/ShortGuide...Survey.pdf

A short and useful guide to help.



(remember comments and corrections always welcome)


Another day another WSI?

[john1504]

An interesting document Hosty. I shall read this over the weekend.

[troll]

Forget GPS. Tiz about as acceptable as an accurate record as an MPs word. There really is no excuse for not recording findspots accurately-whoever you are.
I will be completely honest here.I personally can`t stand the concept of metal detecting as a "hobby". I also find it disturbing that any dialogue between the two camps seems to always come down to an assumption on the part of MDs that archaeologists assume total control of the nations heritage. I have ranted on here and elsewhere time and again- it is high time that central government moves to introduce effective legislation to protect the historic environment from the ravages of modern development and, metal detection as a hobby and- the unregulated and sometimes poor professional standards of those who work in the heritage industry.Rather than seeing this thread as an arena where archies and MDs defend eachothers position-could we not move in one direction? Preferably one that involves seeing the nations heritage as the main focus?