Total Site removal... a look to American Pay Digs

[Oxbeast]

Does anyone know what the ad means by 'evaluated by archaeologists'?

I suspect it means 'and therefore we know there is lots of stuff to have'

:face-rain:

[RedEarth]

Jesus, that is grim. Mind you, if it were on private land in the UK and the site wasn't protected could you not just do the same thing? Obviously, if you started advertising 'dig a Roman villa and take home the finds' word would get out pretty quickly and it might be Scheduled (although how quickly is anyone's guess). I did hear of a case recently where the landowner, because he was interested, started machining out part of a site and was effectively stopped because he needed permission to carry out what were judged to be engineering works (I think that was the term) and would thus have to apply for permission, which would then have had an archaeological condition placed on it. Does the US have any planning laws?

[beamo]

RedEarth
You're spot on with this one. It would definitely be possible in England to advertise for people to come and excavate an archaeological site that was not scheduled. There would be no requirement to discuss this with any agency (English Heritage etc) or FLO, or the county archaeologist as long as the work remained outside the plannning system (i.e. don't use any heavy plant or move too much earth). There would be no requirement to excavate to any agreed standard, nor to record to any standard (or indeed to record anything), nor to deposit any archive, and as long as you are the landowner or have the landowner's permission, no reason why the people could not keep whatever they find as long as it does not fall within the Treasure Act.

Perhaps this is something that a revised Heritage Protection Bill might actually seek to address - we might eventually end up with legislation that protects our heritage not only from developers but from everyone else.


Beamo

[Oxbeast]

Maybe we shouldn't be giving people ideas for new businesses. It can't be scheduled anyway unless it meets the criteria. And even then, there is often not the political clout from national heritage agencies to do so.

[Windbag]

Perhaps this is something that a revised Heritage Protection Bill might actually seek to address - we might eventually end up with legislation that protects our heritage not only from developers but from everyone else.

"Wait! Let's not dig anything until an archaeologist has had a look!" Although the planning system has its drawbacks as a means of regulating and protecting archaeology, I'd be interested to see if a more comprehensive system could be workable without impacting on other industries' daily activities, such as agriculture.

[vulpes]

some will compare this also to metal detecting rallies

A lot of archaeologists (me included) don't mind rallys in principle so long as they stick to a recognised code of conduct, cooperate fully with the PAS and limit digging to the topsoil / ploughsoil. Anything else is essentially in the same territory as these people - i.e. the uncontrolled destruction of archaeological remains.

[vulpes]

if a more comprehensive system could be workable without impacting on other industries' daily activities, such as agriculture

I'm afraid you'll be disappointed Windbag as the current trend appears to be in the other direction - with increased deregulation and expansion of permitted development rights for certain schemes including microgeneration. The ploughing of Scheduled Sites can only really be halted effectively now through Environmental Stewardship schemes which are voluntary and have done nothing to help protect these sites in my area - yet. Perhaps the incentives should be greater? And still it boils down to money, the reason the whole class consent for ploughing thing was fudged in the first place.

Still, at least no one is holding 'Digfests' on them..... :face-plain:

[BAJR Host]

Can only agree... and indeed it is interesting that thee DigFests theoretically could take place here but don't.

Unless you count my plundering training digs a pound a potsherd is my motto!

[mesolithic viking]

How does this sit with NAGPRA and federal/local government, are they aware of it?