26th December 2005, 11:38 AM
Unfortunately, assumption and mock indignance rules the day. I will leave the main points you make for all subscribers to do with as they will.I do however, feel the need to respond to a few small comments.
If you guys were banned as a "hobby", I really could`nt care less what you did after that.No more so than I could care less as to what ex-hunters do now in Scotland.My main grief here is a simple one:this thread began with an open and informative environment where constructive dialogue was underway.For some reason best known to yourselves, a pubescent display of emotion tennis broke out and induced vomit in a goodly few of us.
Metal detecting is a seriously contentious issue with most professional archaeologists-as poaching is with most gamekeepers.It would be a far more useful thread here if we were to discuss the ethics of the "hobby" and perhaps hammer out some common ground. Please, I also find it a tad annoying when an MD claims a lack of "understanding" on the part of archaeologists-most of whom are highly qualified professionals. An MD can be seen as an individual that has got hold of one single bit of simple kit and choses to apply it in complete contempt of the views of many. It`s not going to be an easy ride on this thread by any means.But, please, don`t assume that an outcry from the MD community against moves to protect our heritage through legislation will improve your collective reputations-quite the opposite.
If you guys were banned as a "hobby", I really could`nt care less what you did after that.No more so than I could care less as to what ex-hunters do now in Scotland.My main grief here is a simple one:this thread began with an open and informative environment where constructive dialogue was underway.For some reason best known to yourselves, a pubescent display of emotion tennis broke out and induced vomit in a goodly few of us.
Metal detecting is a seriously contentious issue with most professional archaeologists-as poaching is with most gamekeepers.It would be a far more useful thread here if we were to discuss the ethics of the "hobby" and perhaps hammer out some common ground. Please, I also find it a tad annoying when an MD claims a lack of "understanding" on the part of archaeologists-most of whom are highly qualified professionals. An MD can be seen as an individual that has got hold of one single bit of simple kit and choses to apply it in complete contempt of the views of many. It`s not going to be an easy ride on this thread by any means.But, please, don`t assume that an outcry from the MD community against moves to protect our heritage through legislation will improve your collective reputations-quite the opposite.