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Date: | Tue, 14 Mar 2006 12:27:55 -0800 |
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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.
>
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