Great idea!...using historical society members.

I was wondering about hiring security (even police officers)....since, I
figure some of them are pothunters...as your example shows.

I had forgotten of way back in the early 1980s...there was a well known
prehistoric site ('La Rinconada')...that our company was
excavating...and doing water-screening....so, we were very
noticable...in a residential area (the site had been paved over; used to
be a drive-in theater).  For security, there was a rented chain link
fence (but anyone could easily bust the lock)...but also, several of the
crew took turns 'baby-sitting' the site after hrs and on wkends.  I just
sat in the back of my Datsun (remember those?) truck...and read a book;
easy money (can't remember if we had a porta-potty on-site tho).  Hmm, I
didn't do a night shift...so can't remember if we did that - but would
have had too.

>-----Original Message-----
>From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
>Sent: Tuesday, March 14, 2006 9:22 AM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Urban archaeology methods question
>
>
>RE site security.  At one urban site with a lot of public 
>interest and no 
>real barriers around our site we contacted the local 
>historical society.  They 
>took shifts, moved in a motor home and stayed on site through 
>the night and 
>weekends for the two weeks we were excavating.  I understand 
>they had a BBQ out 
>there on weekends and a lottery to see who was the fortunate 
>one to camp out on 
>site and protect it.  This was on property owned by a City and 
>the City agreed 
>and covered liability.  It worked out great with no problems 
>and didn't cost 
>me or the City (my client) anything.  As an aside, they also 
>provided site 
>docents during our excavation.  I would talk to the docent 
>every hour or so and 
>fill them in on what we were doing and finding.  They then 
>dealt with all the 
>general public who wandered up with questions.  They provided 
>historical 
>research for "their site" and passed that on to the public.  
>It worked really well. 
>
>On another site in the same City I hired a security firm and 
>paid for a 
>private security guard 12 hours a night at $14/hour.  We also 
>had temporary chain 
>link fencing around the entire block.  I came in one morning 
>and found a 
>feature that we exposed at the end of the day and left open 
>had been totally dug out 
>over night and everything whole taken.  Turned out the 
>security guard was a 
>pothunter and spent the 12 hour shift happily using our 
>shovels and screens to 
>dig out the feature.  He dumped his goods at his girlfiend's 
>house and skipped 
>town.  The security company filed a police report and it 
>turned into a formal 
>investigation.  After many months I received a box of bottles 
>that may or may 
>not have come from the site and the guard lost his job and had 
>to pay a $400 
>misdemeanor fine.  go figure.
>
>Mary L. Maniery
>PAR Environmental Services, Inc.
>