Metallic Finds Rates on excavations

[geo]

Hope you have a tin hat on cos Mr.B will be looking for revenge !!!

[jcmaloney]

No comment...



It has however opened up a rather interesting and wider debate.

and good to here from you again sir... been busy have we!

Indeed yes....... "life" keeps getting in the way!! Been furthering the education, improving the relationships betwixt detectorists and the professionals locally..... doing some damage limitation (Witherley!!) and finding shiny stuff........ all with 10 digit NGR`s !
Lots of work going on in Leicester related to Rich III and we are manning a stall at the Arch Soc`s history fair in March ..... second year and not been lynched yet!!

[BAJR]

Grand to hear... keep on keeping on! and we will get there in the end

[Responsible Detectorist]

Hi, I just wanted to say I found this thread really interesting. As a newish detectorist I wanted to learn more about how / if detecting can be used in conjunction with archaeology and found this thread a really honest discussion of some of the flaws of both detecting and archaeology and found the working together suggestions really illuminating.

I have just started a blog about trying to be a responsible detectorist. Paul Barford suggested I post a comment from my blog on here for a response but I think this thread has made that suggestion needless.

Blog is at http://theresponsibledetectorist.blogspot.co.uk/

if anyone is interested.

cheers

ben

[BAJR]

I read you blog... and enjoyed you honesty and quite careful introspection as well. refreshing and useful!

[P Prentice]

so did i - welcome

[Responsible Detectorist]

Thank you.

[Joe11]

Hello all, I'm a new-ish detectorist as well and I've learned a lot from reading this thread.

In my view, I'd say that there are many dectectorists up and down the country who would jump at the opportunity to work with archaeologists and help out in any way they can. There are loads of detectorists in total despair because permissions are so difficult to get, regular club digs are many miles away and local md-ing clubs are all closed-membership. It's no fun to have a £1,200 machine gathering dust.

But, and as pointed out earlier, I can understand that it's difficult to trust detectorists who may abuse access to archaeological sites. After all, there's money involved, it's inevitable I suppose. I just wish that archaeologists might spend more time with us, showing us how they do things. As well as educating, perhaps relationships could be made. Like every other group, detectorists have their own pillars of the community - such as those who run their own md-ing clubs up and down the country and have been active md-ers for many years. Also, I dare say, many md-ing clubs would welcome archaeologists - who might wish to learn md-ing skills to use on excavations - with open arms.

Anyway, thanks all for the great debate. The OP's ongoing bun-fight with the 'responsible detectorist' bloggers is entertaining enough, but it tends to be just that: entertainment (!).

Cheers

Joe

[Responsible Detectorist]

Good point that joe, hadnt thought of a detecting club inviting an Archie. Always the other way around for some reason.

[Mike.T.]

Hello all, I'm a new-ish detectorist as well and I've learned a lot from reading this thread.

In my view, I'd say that there are many dectectorists up and down the country who would jump at the opportunity to work with archaeologists and help out in any way they can. There are loads of detectorists in total despair because permissions are so difficult to get, regular club digs are many miles away and local md-ing clubs are all closed-membership. It's no fun to have a £1,200 machine gathering dust.

Go out there and knock on some farmers / landowners doors. You'll get a lot of refusals for sure, but eventually someone will say yes. I've never been in a club but still managed to get a lot of land to search.

Most contractors require that every person on site has a CSCS card, which is probably why most Archaeology companies won't use MD ing volunteers.