maybe start explaining the difference between antiquarianism & archaeology 
(like they did with us back in the bad old days of archaeology 101)
explain what museums are all about (preserving all them airy-heads that 
someday or other are otherwise going to get thrown out when someone gets 
around to clearing out an attic or closet, and might never have been 
provenienced or archived properly anyway: underline the importance of 
context, especially stratigraphic & post-depositional)
after that, i don't imagine UNESCO 1956 would really impress anyone who just 
wants to dig & doesn't care about such abstract concepts as "humanity" or 
"future generations"

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joe Roberts" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2006 20:23
Subject: Individual rights and relic hunting: Thorny issues


> Among Civil War relic hunters, there are reasons why a CSA button goes for 
> $700 and a Federal eagle button is $9. Relic hunting enacts deeply-felt 
> notions of identity and patriotism. Digging is a powerfully meaningful 
> activity for those who dig.