22nd October 2009, 02:29 PM
RedEarth
You're spot on with this one. It would definitely be possible in England to advertise for people to come and excavate an archaeological site that was not scheduled. There would be no requirement to discuss this with any agency (English Heritage etc) or FLO, or the county archaeologist as long as the work remained outside the plannning system (i.e. don't use any heavy plant or move too much earth). There would be no requirement to excavate to any agreed standard, nor to record to any standard (or indeed to record anything), nor to deposit any archive, and as long as you are the landowner or have the landowner's permission, no reason why the people could not keep whatever they find as long as it does not fall within the Treasure Act.
Perhaps this is something that a revised Heritage Protection Bill might actually seek to address - we might eventually end up with legislation that protects our heritage not only from developers but from everyone else.
Beamo
You're spot on with this one. It would definitely be possible in England to advertise for people to come and excavate an archaeological site that was not scheduled. There would be no requirement to discuss this with any agency (English Heritage etc) or FLO, or the county archaeologist as long as the work remained outside the plannning system (i.e. don't use any heavy plant or move too much earth). There would be no requirement to excavate to any agreed standard, nor to record to any standard (or indeed to record anything), nor to deposit any archive, and as long as you are the landowner or have the landowner's permission, no reason why the people could not keep whatever they find as long as it does not fall within the Treasure Act.
Perhaps this is something that a revised Heritage Protection Bill might actually seek to address - we might eventually end up with legislation that protects our heritage not only from developers but from everyone else.
Beamo