15th April 2012, 11:51 AM
Actually you'd be surprised the difference between the different equipment and software (and yes, this varies with ground conditions, particularly how much air's in the soil, which seems to matter for some reason), but this was nearly a decade ago so maybe the technology has converged? As BAJR seems to agree, you can organise as much as you like, lay them out lanes, whatever, but by the end of the afternoon they'll all still be crammed in one small corner - except for the one bloke 200m away who thinks he knows better....
Screening the web sales sites would add unreported data, it's amazing how often the vendors are quite happy to blatently gove the provenance of the plundered booty. We (local archaeologists, EH, the police etc) know there's an Anglian cemetery being dug out somewhere around Catterick cos thats what's tagged on all the finds for sale on the web (which include non-metal beads etc so we know they're taking a spade to burials), so its possible to add a vague spot to distribution maps and even get some idea of date etc, just would be nice to know exactly where it is and get it either protected in some way or dug properly
Screening the web sales sites would add unreported data, it's amazing how often the vendors are quite happy to blatently gove the provenance of the plundered booty. We (local archaeologists, EH, the police etc) know there's an Anglian cemetery being dug out somewhere around Catterick cos thats what's tagged on all the finds for sale on the web (which include non-metal beads etc so we know they're taking a spade to burials), so its possible to add a vague spot to distribution maps and even get some idea of date etc, just would be nice to know exactly where it is and get it either protected in some way or dug properly