15th January 2008, 12:46 PM
The first thing I want to say is that this is this first time team I have watched in years.
I would like to make a few points.
1. This was not an assessment as it was called it was an evaluation before scheduling. It was an attempt to see what other structures there were and if the artefacts were from part of a larger complex.
2. The amateur topsoil archaeologists (AKA metal dectorists/treasure hunters) clearly did not have an understanding of some basic concepts such as timber construction can be detected.
3. Time Team seemed to be asking if the Treasure law was just - because of the different valuations between the legal and illegal trade in antiquities. However on the TT website they sayand no archaeologist watching the Ainsbrook programme could feel anything but concern about the systematic stripping of the site of metal artefacts over many years. See http://www.channel4.com/history/microsit...metal.html
and in particular We don't allow people to collect birds' eggs any more, for example, he says. 'Yet this is worse than egg collecting. There will still be kestrels producing eggs until we get down to the last half dozen kestrels but once you lose archaeological remains they are gone forever.'
4. Tony Robinson's points at the end there are 50000 metal detector users, they are not going to go away, and it is upto us to do something about the situation.
There must be a better way of working is a point I can agree with.
Peter Wardle
(Richard Hall - the archaeologists is a well known and respected archaeologist he is not an arrogant person)
I would like to make a few points.
1. This was not an assessment as it was called it was an evaluation before scheduling. It was an attempt to see what other structures there were and if the artefacts were from part of a larger complex.
2. The amateur topsoil archaeologists (AKA metal dectorists/treasure hunters) clearly did not have an understanding of some basic concepts such as timber construction can be detected.
3. Time Team seemed to be asking if the Treasure law was just - because of the different valuations between the legal and illegal trade in antiquities. However on the TT website they sayand no archaeologist watching the Ainsbrook programme could feel anything but concern about the systematic stripping of the site of metal artefacts over many years. See http://www.channel4.com/history/microsit...metal.html
and in particular We don't allow people to collect birds' eggs any more, for example, he says. 'Yet this is worse than egg collecting. There will still be kestrels producing eggs until we get down to the last half dozen kestrels but once you lose archaeological remains they are gone forever.'
4. Tony Robinson's points at the end there are 50000 metal detector users, they are not going to go away, and it is upto us to do something about the situation.
There must be a better way of working is a point I can agree with.
Peter Wardle
(Richard Hall - the archaeologists is a well known and respected archaeologist he is not an arrogant person)