Why Are Welsh Detectorists Not Reporting FindS?

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Over on the Detecting Wales forum is a telling statistic. Contributor "Alan" notes:

in the local PAS report for our county, it reported that only 32 detectorists recorded finds with the scheme, yet we know of well over 700 detectorists attended clubs throughout the year! [make of that statistic what you will!!]

I make of that, that reporting is appallingly bad in Wales. Let's stop funding their under-used Portable Antiquities Scheme. It's a waste of money.

Na i PAS ar gyfer Cymru: The Reasons For this Blog

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Three weeks ago I took my Portable Antiquities Collecting and Heritage Issues temporarily offline as a result of threats to my family by a "metal detectorist" and a subsequent incident which the police are now investigating which coincided with a planned mass action by UK "metal detectorists" to try and get Google to close the blogger's account. The person responsible for these threats is a member of the forum "Detecting Wales" where three weeks ago he announced gleefully (http://www.detectingwales.com/index.php?topic=12007.0):

I would just like to announce tonight I have put an end to Paul Barford and his anti detecting blogs. [...] I think I'll change my name to 'Steve The Barford Slayer'

This, and thus by extension the methods used to achieve this "feat" achieved full approval of the Welsh "metal detectorists" (artefact hunters and collectors) gathered on that forum, such as expressed in remarks like the following:

Good for you Steve - people like that get what they deserve in the end eh

aurevoir Pauly boy

well done, Steve. [...] Barking Barford Beaten!

I've always thought that if you're prepared to wait you will have the last laugh, so to speak. Last one I thought that about had a heart attack and dropped down dead age 39.

weldone steve,

Steve, You know how I feel about the person in question - so well done [...] I am going to lock the thread now mate just to ensure there are no repercussions.

That last one is from the list's moderator. The "repercussions" to which he refers presumably include any attempt to consider just what it is the Welsh "metal detectorists" have to hide from a blog that considers the wider context of artefact hunting and collecting activities in the context of "Portable Antiquity Collecting and Heritage Issues". More to the point just what it is that gives them such a feeling of entitlement that for them the only right and proper reaction to an attempt at public debate is to try and force the polemicist offline by aggression and outright threats to him and his family of dire consequences if he does not stop.

In most countries of the world, people who use tools such as metal detectors to remove collectable and saleable artefacts from archaeological sites are condemned and prosecuted if caught. Most countries of the world recognise that the archaeological record is a finite, fragile and precious resource, not to be lightly squandered for personal gain and this is reflected in the legislation. Not so the United Kingdom, whose antiquities "preservation" laws have not advanced much beyond their pioneering Victorian form from 1882.

When "metal detecting" (artefact hunting) became popular in the 1970s it was rightly met in Britain with opprobrium. This changed with the setting up of the Portable Antiquities Scheme in 1997, and since then artefact hunting has been getting nothing but positive press from the English archaeological community. The Scheme has done much to shield a whole range of issues connected with portable antiquity collecting in the British Isles (and England and Wales in particular) from deeper discussion and scrutiny. It is the public attitudes engendered by the Portable Antiquities Scheme and those that support it that are responsible for the confidence with which artefact hunters like the "Detecting Wales" members mentioned above that they are in no way accountable to the British public for what they do.

The Portable Antiquities Scheme empowers artefact hunters (as pointed out by David Barwell) and encourages them to warn anyone concerned about the effects of what they are doing on the archaeological record to "get off our case" (Austin 2010, also here too).

Interestingly recent changes in the organization of the PAS as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review have led to PAS is facing a 15% reduction by 2014-15. One of the most significant features is the impact of devolution. It has been proposed to reduce the current contribution made by the Scheme to PAS in Wales, on the basis that these costs should be borne by the Welsh Assembly Government, through Museums Archives and Libraries Wales CyMAL or the National Museum Wales. In the texts below I would like to argue the case for abandoning the flawed PAS concept altogether in favour of other approaches to dealing with archaeological finds made by members of the public and the metal detecting problem in particular. If the PAS prop was removed from the hobby, it would have to do much more to justify its continued existence or face the consequences if it cannot. It would mean the hobby (and people who support the PAS) actually addressing the questions and issues now being raised by individuals such as myself or professor David Gill, until recently based in Swansea University. It is notable that when the latter was invited to conduct a forum discussion on the role of the PAS in the preservation of the archaeological record at the end of last year, the PAS itself refused to take part.

How Many Recordable Artefacts are "Metal Detectorists" in Wales Keeping?

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There is quite a discrepancy between the average numbers of finds shown to the regional officers of the Portable Antiquities Scheme in Wales and the number of finds predicted by the Heritage Action Artefact Erosion Counter. Which is closer to the actuual number of finds made by an average active metal detectorist in the course of a year's going out and searcching for things to add to the collection? Some members of the "Detecting Wales" forum helpfully tell us what they find. "Chef Geoff" for example, on July 4th had already added to his own personal private collection, at least:

86 Roman coins ('nummi' 73, 5 folii, 4 'sesterci', 3 denarii, and a 'dupondius'), 24 hammered coins (including a Celtic stater), seventeen Roman fibulae, 2 Roman rings and 4 silver rings (post medieval)

One hundred and thirty two finds. The "Metal detectorist" called "Dances with badgers" by the fifth of July reports:

finds of 9ct gold "57.5grams", finds of 18ct gold, "7 grams", 22ct gold "12 grams", plus a 1921 sovereign. Hammered coins, an Elizabeth I sixpence, Edward I groat, Mary groat, Charles I sixpence and "LOADS OF SILVER !"

This shows that the common mantra "we're not in it for the money, we are not treasure hunters" does not apply to all Welsh "detectorists". Then we have the forum member calling himself Casa-Dos (kev)who reports on August 23, 2011, his "2011 FINDS so far.." as consisting of:

four hammered coins, nine milled silver, a silver ring, a silver cuff-link. Three spindle whorls, part of bronze age axe, a Roman fibula, a Roman mount, pottery & clay pipe.

Then we have nfl on September 19, 2011 who reports that his finds for 2011 so far include:

33 hammered coins, five Roman denarii, a George III half guinea, 3 Victorian and four pre-Victorian silver coins, one "Tudor Treasure item", a gold gentleman's ring, two parts of a medieval gold ring

Again the emphasis on the finds of bullion value is notable. The same applies to "Deadlock" who reports so far:

Two silver rings, a silver annular brooch, a silver coin of Gallenius, half a spindle whorl. Hammered coins of James I, Charles I, Henry III 3rd cut quarter, Edward III, William III sixpence.

And so on. Quite obviously these people are reporting the 'highlights', one cannot imagine metal detecting a Roman site and finding just silver coins and no copper alloy ones accompanying them, or a medieval site which produced just silver hammered coins but no copper alloy personal ornaments. It seems that this Welsh milieu seems mainly interested in swapping boasts about their silver and gold finds.

The "Detecting Wales" forum sections: DetectingWales.com Rally Reports and 2010 Predictions - How many finds? are also both quite revealing.

Quite obviously from the evidence provided by their own discussion forum, given the number of items we have seen are being added to the PAS database by "partnership" with Welsh "metal detectorists" compared to the sort of accounts we see above of what some of them are finding, Welsh "metal detectorists" are not showing even a small fraction of what they find to the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

The PAS is not making much of a dent on the non-reported removal of archaeological finds from archaeological sites and assemblages from one end of Wales to the other. These finds are coming out of the ground at a huge rate and being lost - despite the existence for almost a decade of a Scheme to encourage their reporting and recording.

Vignette: Treasure Chest full of freshly dug up but unrecorded ancient artefacts.

The first Detecting Wales Rally . . . "gold and silver!"

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There is a revealing account over on "Find's Treasure Forums" (note the name) with the equally revealing title: "The first Detecting Wales Rally ... gold and silver!" posted at the end of February 2009 by one "Welsh Neil". The commercial artefact hunting rally run by the "Detecting Wales" forum was a great "success". About 35 people searched ploughed land and grassland (not approved by the Code of Practice) and the finds from the pasture were described as "outstanding". The rally removed from the archaeological record at this point four Roman coins ("grots"), two Roman fibulae, a silver man's finger-ring, six hammered silver coins, five milled silver coins, a gold noble coin weight and a "gold quarter stater". As Welsh Neil said:

As far as I am aware there have only been 7 gold staters ever found in Wales. Its a historical find and needs to be reported!

Once again we see the emphasis being placed on how much "gold and silver" is being found by these treasure hunters. Needless to say a search of the PAS does not produce any record of a gold quarter stater found in February 2009 - or indeed of any of reports of these rally finds coming in at all.

The "Detecting Wales" forum has run at least forty other commercial artefact hunting rallies since then. It seems that none yet figure on the PAS list of rallies contributing in any significant way to their database. Obviously then the majority of these finds are just being taken out of the archaeological record and disappearing into scattered ephemeral collections or onto eBay.

Not All Welsh Detectorists Want A PAS Anyway

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In a rather belated discussion about the threatened demise of the Portable Antiquities Scheme, a member of the "Detecting Wales" forum, one "Jeb" from the mountainous areas of North Wales is unworried by the prospect of the PAS disappearing. "So what???" he asks.

He considers that the UKDFD, created by detectorists for detectorists, is more "compudent" and easier to work with and can replace the PAS. Jeb considers that what the PAS is "really there for" apart from "record your finds" is that it could be there as a "spy, to see how many detectorists are actualy recording their finds as well". He suggests that the function of the PAS is to determine who is finding what where

"and is there enough of a GR to pinpoint to nosey Arkies whats being found of any great importance so that they "could" if they wanted to, approach that farmer and ask, suggest, impose, or persaude that farmer ,to put any further metal detecting searching on a hold or a complete stop maybe?"

So in other words, attempt to protect significant sites from being trashed by artefact hunters hoiking out random objects merely for entertainment and profit? Sadly that is precisely what in all of its decade and a half of public-funded existence PAS has NOT been doing, but it is interesting to note that here is a voice indicating that if the PAS had been having greater success in preserving sites, it would not have the backing of at least part of the "metal detecting" community.

Of course the UKDFD cannot replace the PAS as from the beginning its database has not been constructed in a manner to be compatible with the software of the Historic Environment records that the PAS is intended to feed data into in order that the information can be used for resource management and research purposes.

Jeb says "No to a Portable Antiquities Scheme in Wales".

Vignette: in the mountains, looking down into the abyss.

It's Time for a Rethink of Policy on Artefact Hunting in Wales: Na i PAS ar gyfer Cymru

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The Welsh "metal detectorist" calling himself just "Neil" ("Administrator, Superhero Member") announced after the "Detecting Wales" thread concerning the silencing of a certain heritage blogger had for a while been filling with self-gratulatory posts expressing the obvious feeling of entitlement of their authors and showing full acquiescence to the stifling of debate on portable heritage issues in great Britain:

I am going to lock the thread now mate just to ensure there are no repercussions.

The repercussions are that people seeing the Welsh reaction to list-member Avalon's announcement that he has "put an end to Paul Barford and his anti detecting blogs" will start to look just why it is that Welsh "metal detectorists" want to see a blog discussing portable antiquity collecting issues in a wider context out of public sight.

The repercussions are that their reaction to the news might be to want to look a bit more closely over their shoulders at just what it is they are doing out there on the green pasturelands and ploughed archaeological sites of Wales and adjacent areas.

The public who see that thread and then this blog might well want to ask why it is the Welsh taxpayer is now going to be asked by supporters of artefact hunting to fork out huge amounts of money mainly to service the exploitive and erosive hobby of a minority instead of discussing other ways of dealing with the problem. This money could be better spent elsewhere.

The repercussions are that it has become clear that we can no longer afford to continue the bold social integration experiment begun by a New Labour government in 1997 without any public discussion of its effects on and implications for the preservation of the archaeological record of the British Isles. Especially when any attempts to draw attention to its defects are met with aggression, threats, disruptive behaviour by so-called "metal detectorists" in the UK and total silence from the one organization set up nearly a decade and a half ago to be archaeology's voice on portable antiquities issues.

Now that devolving Wales has been cut off from the direct influence of artefact hunting's "partners" in Bloomsbury, perhaps it is time for the Welsh to find a more effective means of dealing with Britain's increasing problem with the plundering of the archaeological record for collectables by a small, selfish and largely anti-social minority.

Now, with devolution, it is surely the time to stop the pretence and take decisive action against a few hundred selfish despoilers threatening the fragile and finite archaeological record of Wales.