This was ten years ago in a TAG session called 'CRITICAL APPROACHES TO ARTEFACTS'. Nothing much has changed since then, the public is still being scammed athat artefact hunting is in some way a good thing for archaeology and the archaeological record.
The Portable Antiquities Scam
Paul Barford (Warsaw, Poland)
By means of the Portable Antiquities Scheme the private exploitation of archaeological sites by artefact hunters and the personal collecting of archaeological artefacts is encouraged in the guise of “archaeological outreach” to the British public. During its seven years operation, the Scheme has largely concentrated on making contacts with the metal detecting fraternity and “recording” their finds in order to increase the size of its “database” (which it seems to regard as its main raison d’etre). Despite its active ‘propaganda of success’, it must be admitted that the Scheme’s achievements have fallen short of potential, both in terms of numbers of artefact hunters reached, but especially in terms of actual “archaeological outreach” to them. Liaison is superficial and fragile and - despite great effort and expenditure - in real terms seems to have achieved little. PAS has furthermore been primarily focussed on the artefactological aspects of its work rather than nurturing any form of more generally archaeological approach or encouraging discussion of heritage management issues. The artefactological focus seems also to be a major component of the ‘theoretical background’ of the Scheme. The operation of the PAS has merely resulted in a confirmation of the ‘stamp collecting’ approach within the artefact hunting fraternity, isolated from any wider archaeological or conservation concerns. Liaison however goes both ways, the focus of one of the better funded archaeological schemes in the country today is not without influence on the profession itself but in particular on the perceptions of archaeology of its broader public audience.
 |
| Mr. Jorrocks' Hunt |
