Detectors 036
Detectors 036 : Metal Detector: Uses: (3) Politics and Conflicts in The Metal Detecting Hobby: The metal detecting community and professional archaeologists have differences related to the location, recovery and preservation of historic finds and locations. Archaeologists claim that detector hobbyists take an artifact-centric approach, removing these from their context resulting in a permanent loss of historical information. Archaeological looting of places like Slack Farm in 1987 and Petersburg National Battlefield serve as evidence against allowing unsupervised metal detecting in historic locations. Hobby detectorists often state that professional Archaeologists' resource limitations results in the loss or damage of many artifacts by plows, development, erosion and livestock. The language and breadth of legislation regarding artifact collection is also an issue, as the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 excludes scattered coins, the main target of inland hobby detectorists. Many detectorists take issue with the breadth of metal detecting bans, marking large swaths of property off-limits which are either well-documented already or unlikely to ever receive professional attention. Suggestions to certify or offer limited permits for detecting at historic sites have been attempted in some areas of the United States. Recently, productive efforts for cooperation between professionals and metal detecting hobbyists have begun, including the Montpelier Archaeology Project and BRAVO Battlefield Restoration and Archaeological Volunteer Organization and many more. In these programs, skilled detectorists work with experienced professionals with common goals of accurate, efficient site discovery and excavation. Away from supervised sites, hobbyists using improved record keeping and employment of Global Positioning System, GIS, logbooks, photo scales and online databases may aid professionals in evaluating possible sites. When searching for a site, detectorists can aid with electronic scanning, reducing the need for test holes. Some land managers, such as The Tennessee Valley Authority have cited a role forAmateur Archaeologists in protecting sensitive sites from illegal looting and metal detector hobbyists have aided in the location and preservation of many sites
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