Guess I'm of the view that far 'underground' is exactly where collecting belongs, as opposed to being popularized and sensationalized like it presently is by cable tv artifact / antiques fetishism.
Note that I am not proposing any new draconian laws or anything, simply a media characterization of looting archaeological sites as something unethical and wrong as opposed to something to be celebrated and fun to do on the weekend with your metal detector.
Scott Speal
From: Tom King [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2014 1:53 PM
To: Speal, Charles S
Cc: [log in to unmask]; HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY
Subject: Re: ACRA-L - FBI Seizes cultural artifacts in Indiana
Wow, Scott, I think that's SO wrong. Have you seen the article (I forget where it was published, but I blogged about it) that reported a rigorous comparison of the U.K., with its relatively liberal laws on the subject, and Austria which basically throws you in jail and throws away the key? It provided good evidence that what heavy and well-publicized "enforcement" do is drive collecting underground, as it were. It may feel good to archaeologists, but arguably it only exacerbates the problem.
Tom King
Thomas F. King PhD, LLC
410 Windsor Street, Silver Spring MD 20910
240-475-0595, [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Blogs: http://crmplus.blogspot.com/ & http://ameliaearhartarchaeology.blogspot.com/
Books: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-F.-King/e/B001IU2RWK/ref=la_B001IU2RWK_st?qid=1394198577&rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_82%3AB001IU2RWK&sort=daterank
On Thu, Apr 3, 2014 at 1:02 PM, Speal, Charles S <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
In many ways, I think that the best possible counter to shows like NatGeo 'Diggers' would be a program that mixes 'Cops'-style busts of looters (perhaps like that linked below, although granted all the facts are not in on this case) with responsible (yet stimulating, which is unfortunately a bit rare) cultural resource investigations. What our industry needs is a talented spokesperson to engage the public in the media.
Too bad Neil de Grasse Tyson didn't take up archaeology...
Scott Speal
From: acra-l [mailto:[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>] On Behalf Of [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2014 11:12 AM
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: ACRA-L - FBI Seizes cultural artifacts in Indiana
There seems to be a lot not said here, but the magnitude of the collection sounds staggering. Questions will definitely come out here about under what laws are they confiscating this collection.
Does anyone know more about this?
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/04/03/thousands-cultural-artifacts-seized/7244431/
Mike Polk
Sagebrush Consultants
Ogden, Utah
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