Artefact Hunting and Archaeological Responsibility

The mere documentation of archaeological phenomena involves at every stage interpretation, whether something is a layer or feature, a disturbed or undisturbed context. Whether a soil change is anthropogenic or a natural discolourartion, or a natural layer. The documentation of a find will reflect this interpretation and depict it in written, drawn or other graphic form. This section cannot cover the whole topic of how the archaeologist observes, interprets and documents the archaeological record. The removal of archaeological evidence from an archaeological site, whether by excavation or other research process requires documentation. This is because the evidence that is embedded in the patterning of the material traces is destroyed as soon as it has been revealed, making it a mono-directional exploration. Keeping track of all the intermediate steps between the state at the beginning of the research and the deposition of the project archive is essential for the study of the site by ...

A very useful website for anyone intending to engeage responsibly in fieldwork is the Archaeology Skills Passport run by BAJR British Archaeological Jobs Resource (David Connolly, Dunbar, Scotland ) this has the following sections: Core Skills:  Handtools (Trowel etc) ,  Handtools (Spade, Mattock etc) ,  Site Formation Processes ,  Stratigraphic Excavation ,  Context Sheet Recording ,  Site Photography ,  Site Grid and Trench Layout ,  Dumpy Level and Staff ,  Planning ,  Section Drawing ,  Collection of Samples ,   Artefact Recovery, Recording & Storage ,  Site Safety Secondary Skills:  Survey (Total Station) ,  Geophysics ,  Landscape Walkover Survey ,  Field Walking ,  Environmental Processing ,  Finds Processing ,  GIS & Data Management ,  Data Entry/Archiving ,  Excavation and Lifting Skeleton . Tertiary Skills:   Report and...

It is often disregarded that what the British euphemistically call "metal detecting" is just part of the wider activity of collection-driven exploitation of the archaeological record. It uses the archaeological record as a source of collectable items. In order to do this responsibly, if it must be done at all, it follows that their retrieval by an individual is accompanied by a permanent and accessible record of the information that is as far as possible recompense for the information that is depleted by their removal. This is one aspect of the issue of responsible artefact collecting, the other (discussed in the following sections) is the responsible curation of the collectables and the associated information about them and their origins. The fundamental issue is seeing archaeological objects as a source of information, rather than as mere trophy objects. The responsible collection of such items requires that information to remain retrievable and associated with the ...

Although this resource is concerned with responsible collecting by artefact hunters, the following is also related to the wider issues involved in the collection and trade in portable antiquities. In March 2009 a text, in which the present author had some input, was posted on the now-defunct  Yahoo   Ancient Artifacts forum  by  a group of antiquities collectors. This draft  document  w as compiled on the basis of several months   discussion   on that forum.  A Code of Ethics for Collectors of Ancient Artefacts Version 1 1st March 2009 This is a voluntary code, reflecting the personal conviction of those who adhere to it. It concerns actions now and in the future, and aims to inform both new and experienced collectors. Although it is clearly in every collector’s own interest to be able to separate the fake from the authentic, keep good records and care properly for artefacts, these guidelines are an attempt to go further by outl...

One important aspect of artefact collecting in general is documenting title (right) to ownership. In the majority of legislations, ownership of archaeological material is vested in the state, and in such situations private ownership only results from specific circumstances. In collection of portable antiquities therefore title cannot be a matter of assumption (it should be noted that evidence of lawful ownership in a country is not necessarily valid title).  Therefore the responsible collector of such items will ensure that they can document title. Respecting the principle of ascertaining title to all artefacts added to a collection by all involved in collecting would make it more difficult to sell illegally acquired objects. Public institutions acquiring artefacts for their collection should assure himself that they can acquire valid title to the object in question, meaning that the circumstances of the transaction or knowledge of the object's provenance must be such as to g...

In many countries the private ownership of archaeological finds is restricted or forbidden by law. In those countries where the selling of archaeological finds is allowed, archaeologists see it as unprofessional to engage in it and tend to see this as one of the features that defines the discipline. Calvin Cummings (1983)in a paper titled “A Matter of Ethics” summarised the positions taken by eight of the main archaeological societies in America. All of them opposed the selling of artefacts from sites for profit or to enhance personal collections.  Interestingly, the Code of Conduct of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists does not contain any reference to this, presumably taking it as granted. It does however (1.7) contain the following: A member shall not knowingly be employed by, or otherwise contract with, an individual or entity where the purpose of the contract is directly to facilitate the excavation and/or recovery of items from archaeological contexts for sa...

A typical scrap bucket, what unrecognised archaeological evidence is lost here?  Artefact hunting with a metal detector will in many regions find a large amount of modern (post 1950s) material in the ploughsoil. Artefact hunters regard it as responsible behaviour, having found it, not to return it to the arable land. Some throw it in the hedge ("hedge fodder") or leave it by the gate, both of which is just littering. Others remove it from the site totally and dispose of it safely elsewhere. When this concerns cow udder tubes, shotgun cartridges, ringpulls and aluminium drink cans etc., this is uncontroversial. Other artefact hunters place in the 'scrap bucket' all items not wanted for their collection, regardless of age or nature, and regardless of whether they know what it is or not. Each metal object on a site however reached it somehow, and is a potential source of information on what happened on the site. A scatter of shapeless lead fragments is the result...