Yeah I noticed that too.
And was likewise pleased.

A few issues back in that same journal, did you read the diatribe of how 
awful archaeologists are because they are keeping good honest bottle 
collectors from bottle collecting?  And threatening their hobby by an 
idiotic interest in stratigraphy, etc?  And getting laws passed that keep 
sites protected from the hobbyist bottle collector?

I wonder if this month's article was a gentle rebuttal to that diatribe.

In a recent copy of the Journal of the International Brick Collectors 
Association, there was a description of where to go in a particular city to 
collect bricks.  Then a letter was written: to the letter writer's dismay he 
had brick collectors arriving at his property and unearthing parts of his 
landscaping.  I believe an apology occurred.

Obviously there is a big problem with hobbyists who, in pursuit of their 
hobby, are apparently naieve about laws and seem (to me at least) entirely 
lacking in common sense.

    In 2 more days, my 10-14 year old archaeology students will be getting 
their lesson on ethics.  ARPA, NAGPRA, and some of our local laws get 
covered.

I'd LOVE suggestions about clever ways to get these concepts about 
pothunting and laws across.

For instance:

One of my best ones is to photograph the class, make copies for each 
student, chop a student out and remove a few more pieces, add in pieces from 
someone else's photo, and put it in an envelope.  In other words, each 
student tries to reassemble a jigsaw puzzle which is missing that student. 
When they can't find pieces I tell them to think of the photo as resembling 
a site, and pothunters have taken out all the goodies. The pothunters have 
also messed up the stratigraphy by tossing artifacts (the extra pieces) 
around.

Anyone else got ideas I can use?

Thanks,
S. Walter
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Allen Vegotsky" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, July 09, 2012 9:42 AM
Subject: Bottle Collectors and Ethics


> There was an item in this month's "Bottles and Extras", a bottle 
> collectors' magazine, that should be of considerable interest to 
> archaeologists and historic preservationists.  The magazine is published 
> by The Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors (FOHBC)and the article 
> listed a code of ethics with 14 statements.  The FOHBC is the main 
> organization that impacts thousands of bottle collectors so their 
> statement of ethics is of importance.
>
> Four of the 14 statements on ethics related specifically to archaeology 
> and came as a pleasant surprise to me.  They may not be expressed the way 
> we might want them phrased, but they are encouraging.  Here are the 
> relevant statements:
>
> "Accept my responsibility to be aware of all State, Federal and local laws 
> regarding private property and archaeology and agree to adhere to them.
> "Refrain from digging on State or Federal property without consent from 
> proper authority.
> "Refrain from digging in burial grounds or specified archaeological sites.
> "Report to State Department of Natural Resources any potentially historic 
> or prehistoric site I locate."
>
> Allen Vegotsky


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