Opinion: On history, and the people who dig it up…

By Coindetector

This week the British archeologists made steps toward improving relations with metal detectorists. Britain has always been at the forefront of the "metal detecting - archeological" alliance. They were the first and only nation so far to implement the reporting process, where the find is reported to the local curator, examined, logged, valued, and then either bought or given back. It is not the case in most other countries, where the end to the war is still not in sight. Archeologists who support metal detecting, or detect themselves are often fired or forced to quit. Politicians work on laws prohibiting the use of metal detectors. Meanwhile, some undiscovered or overlooked historical sites are constantly destroyed by plowing, building, and the natural passage of time. Underfunded archeological agencies battle against hobbyists, but do nothing else to save the heritage in the form of unearthed history.

Amateurs in Archeology

Some of the most important archeological discoveries were made by amateur archeologists with interest in history. Howard Carter was financed by Lord Carnarvon when he discovered the Tomb of Tutankhamen in 1922, arguably the most important archeological discovery in Egypt. Although Carter had lots of experience, he was not a professional archeologist. Lord Carnarvon sponsored Carter's search only out of extreme interest in Egyptology.

You don't need to look so far. Recently a pyramid was discovered in Bosnia, believed to be the first pyramid in Europe. Again, it was discovered by an amateur archeologist, Semir Osmanagic. Could you have passed by such a site? But many archeologists did, as they clearly knew no such pyramid was ever built in Europe. Amateur archeologists have an advantage of having little knowledge, and therefore being more open than most professional archeologists who are locked in the scheme and often miss the big picture. Not to mentioned there are very few knowledgeable archeologists. But there are lots of people with great interest in history, willingness to learn, and ability to contribute to our understanding.

Portrayal in the media

The media usually shows the stereotypical treasure hunter, digging up ancient graves in search of jewelry he can later sell on the "black market." A recent article in the Washington Post is a perfect example.

This media coverage of the hobby creates a false image in the general public. Politicians follow up by placing restrictions on the hobby.

Archeologists express their main concern by noting that metal detectorists act like looters. They sweep the site, collecting valuable artifacts and leave little else behind, other than holes (sometimes not filled in). The artifacts then end up in private collections, and can not be traced back to where they were found.

Future steps

Licensing detectors or banning metal detecting entirely are clearly not feasible solutions. But there are a few things that can be done to improve the situation.
Media Coverage
Improved media coverage promotes the good treasure hunters who are the majority. The media look for interesting and shocking stories, and a story about pounds of golden jewelry dating back to the time of the Greeks being sold on the internet by an anonymous finder is far more interesting than a story about a detectorist digging up a Civil War bullet on a farm in Virginia, who carefully fills the hole he dug.

But there are plenty of cases, where analysis of a site with a metal detector has revealed great amount of information, which even the archeologists were unable to extract. In addition, because of a great number of metal detectorists all over the world, new sites that were previously unknown are discovered constantly.
Link with archeologists
Bottom line is this: Archeologists can learn a lot from metal detectorists, and metal detectorists can learn even more from archeologists. The connection must be made. Today's technologies allow for instant communication of large groups of people over great distances. Steps must be taken to organize seminars and lectures where both groups can connect and learn about each other. Most detectorists have a great interest in history and willingness to learn. Many would probably be ready to join archeologists in their quest to discover history. This communication will be the foundation for an improvement, not only of the relations between the two groups, but also of our understanding of history.

Note: "metal detectorist" is not a word in the English language, but it creates a proper image of the hobbyist involved with metal detecting. The common term "treasure hunter" was not used on purpose, as it is associated with a negative stereotype.