Lyle & List,

The Savannah Morning News printed a letter to the editor I wrote in
response to their profile of a history teacher (!) who metal detects and
then brings his finds into his classroom. Progress?
Laura



Laura Seifert

Chairperson, Savannah Heritage Emergency Response
http://sheronline.info

Digging Savannah <https://diggingsavannah.wordpress.com/>
a new archaeology program in Savannah
Find us on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/DiggingSavannah>


> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Sat, 14 Feb 2015 15:30:22 -0500
> From:    "Lyle E. Browning" <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: Working with looters readings?
>
> The Archeological Society of VA (www.archeologyva.org <
> http://www.archeologyva.org/>) has had for years an avocational
> certification program that trains people in the basics of archaeology.
> After invention, it went nowhere in the ASV for a decade or so, was then
> adopted by the Arkansas Arch. Survey and later resurfaced in ASV where it
> is alive and well thanks to the efforts of a few of our dedicated folks and
> the number of certification graduates grows every year. These folks work
> with professional archaeologists in everything from site monitoring, and
> survey to excavation.
>
> But as for looters, draconian measures don’t often work. These folks
> cannot be in the slightest confused with avocationals. Long-term
> publication plus federal prosecution of the hard-core types seems about the
> only viable proposition and the recidivism rate is equivalent to the
> regular prison population. In the areas of the state infested with
> methamphetamine addicts, site looting fits with their addled ADHD
> mentalities and they are the latest iteration of that particular loathsome
> species. Thankfully agriculture has changed to no-till such that freshly
> tilled fields are less available than before.
>
> Avocationals have a tremendous knowledge base and are quite happy to be
> involved in doing the right thing but need opportunities and guidance to do
> so.
>
> If you want to have an effect, start an education program in elementary
> schools and continue that through the high school curricula for steadily
> more involved participation.
>
> One thing we do not have is a definition of a professional archaeologist.
> The newspapers routinely call looters “amateur archaeologists” by which
> time the damage is largely done. The next time I get a newspaper to print
> an error message will be the first time in that regard.
>
> Lyle Browning, RPA
>
>
>