17th January 2008, 12:39 PM
Anyone working for an archaeological organisation on a fieldwork project is going to be 'an archaeologist'. Whether paid or unpaid (but governed by an agreement). Whatever their hobby - whippet-racing, anarchy, bondage, cycling, trainspotting, metal-detecting etc. - when at work each fieldworker has the same rights and responsibilities as other fieldworkers. That is, any find (whether pure gold or unglazed coarse earthenware) belongs to the project, and, ultimately to the landowner (or final receiving institution if another agreement has been reached).
If I (with my hobby of collecting slipware) happen to wander across a field in my own time as a private individual and pick up a few sherds then that is my look out and an entirely different matter. (Technically of course they belong to the landowner and I should ask his/her permission before removing them). If on the other hand I spot some slipware whilst at work (even in the same field) then it gets handed over and properly recorded. If I spot some when working and then come back for it later, then that is quite dodgy. But for some reason 'earthenware nighthawks' are not that big a problem... or are they?
I remember working at Snettisham in the early 1990s for the British Museum, where one or two (!) gold artefacts were found. We all had to sign a disclaimer stating that the finds were the property of the BM and we would make no claim upon them as individuals. We were earning something like £50 a week I think, but that's another story...
If I (with my hobby of collecting slipware) happen to wander across a field in my own time as a private individual and pick up a few sherds then that is my look out and an entirely different matter. (Technically of course they belong to the landowner and I should ask his/her permission before removing them). If on the other hand I spot some slipware whilst at work (even in the same field) then it gets handed over and properly recorded. If I spot some when working and then come back for it later, then that is quite dodgy. But for some reason 'earthenware nighthawks' are not that big a problem... or are they?
I remember working at Snettisham in the early 1990s for the British Museum, where one or two (!) gold artefacts were found. We all had to sign a disclaimer stating that the finds were the property of the BM and we would make no claim upon them as individuals. We were earning something like £50 a week I think, but that's another story...