Looks like you had a pretty successful day. And, a lot of fun! I'm so glad that you are doing this. Just some more of lost history recovered!
Of course no record of the precise location where this archaeological material was taken away from its context... Too bad for archaeology and history ! Finding an ancient coin on the ground, a coin that has been made visible after centuries by the rain or some digging animal, that's OK. But using a metal detector to spot it underground, a shovel to destroy everything above and around it so it can be unearthed and pocketed, that's not OK.
Hello GinoLR, Your opinion, as stated above, should be the beginning of an interesting thread...Ha! J.T.
I understand the heart behind your comment. I am taking a class on biblical archaeology and understand where you are coming from. In some cases, I agree with you. I think on major sites and important places you are absolutely right. Making public outstanding finds for more detailed research is also necessary. However, there is so much buried that I can hardly imagine it will all be found. Imagine if every cellar hole needed an archaeology team! Museums are already loaded with specimens just waiting for someone to properly identify and label them. I can't imagine that metal detecting a few fields will hurt much. That is how many artifacts are found, making great discoveries that would otherwise potentially never be uncovered. This would be an interesting discussion, @J.T. Parker.
Gino, I've written about this several times before... I don't detect it on protected archaeological sites, I've helped archaeologists before, not anymore,to mark on the maps where I found what..It's time for them to stop being state parasites, and to walk their asses in the mud and dust to be what they were trained to be.As JoshuaP wrote, museums have tons of these kinds of finds in their basements and depots that will never, and I say again,never be studied...Almost all Stately Homes in Britain are filled with ancient objects, especially statues, which were stolen and brought from Italy, Greece, Egypt...Well, Gino, if you happen to be in GB, stop by some Stately Homes, and politely ask them to show on a map where their ancestors "borrowed" these grandiose antiques,and everything will be forgiven if they return it all..
