Martin RundkvistI have a debate piece out about metal detectorists as citizen scientists in Sweden's foremost pop-sci magazine.
https://fof.se/artikel/sverige-behover-fler-medborgarforskare-med-metallsokare/
Paper Moon@mrundkvist Thank you for speaking in favour of metal detectorists. You don't often hear this view from an archaeologist. In England there's a scheme where finding anything significant by hobbyists is allowed but supported by Finds Liaison Officers. A lot of archaeologists are only interested in a context, not in any particular finds. They believe artifacts are better off left in the ground. I disagree but I am a detectorist, I am interested in each little story of a find.
@TazPoltorak
Everything except gold *breaks down steadily* in a ploughed field.
Everything except gold *breaks down steadily* in a ploughed field.
@mrundkvist Yes, and I think it's really weird that someone prefers things not to be found at all to being found by a hobbyist but here we are. There's a book by Nigel Richardson called The Accidental Detectorist where he talks about his getting into the hobby and speaking to all kinds of people, including scientists, discussing their views.