23rd January 2006, 04:06 PM
Metal dectectors are not illegal to buy / sell in ireland but unlicenced use of them on or near an archaeological site and or unlicenced disturbance of soil (topsoil or otherwise)in such areas is illegal.
all chance finds must be notified to police national museum etc asap, unfortunately the fines and penalties for not reporting fines are out of date and no monitoring takes place of suspected illegal dectorists. the ideal is beautiful - no loss of findspot or contextual information through ignorant use of the device.
however, human nature being what it is, illegal detecting does take place and the ineviteble result is that the spoils are offered for sale on e-bay or one of those shops across from the british museum etc. the other problem is that information on findspots of these artefacts is continually lost because illegal detectorists will not hang themselves by reporting a find.
How to slove this problem?
all chance finds must be notified to police national museum etc asap, unfortunately the fines and penalties for not reporting fines are out of date and no monitoring takes place of suspected illegal dectorists. the ideal is beautiful - no loss of findspot or contextual information through ignorant use of the device.
however, human nature being what it is, illegal detecting does take place and the ineviteble result is that the spoils are offered for sale on e-bay or one of those shops across from the british museum etc. the other problem is that information on findspots of these artefacts is continually lost because illegal detectorists will not hang themselves by reporting a find.
How to slove this problem?