Embrace the Darkness: UK Detecting on the Dark Web

Many detectorists on
 the dark side now

A new secret Facebook page: The Detectorists Metal detecting uk. Remember, the members' credo is

'Respect everyone's privacy; being part of this group requires mutual trust. Authentic [information] may also be sensitive and private. What's shared in the group should stay in the group'.  

More Bazthugwittery: 'on Conservation'

Get it out

According to Baz, conservation of archaeological sites does not really make much sense, but - in his opinion -   is a form of 'Knowledge loss… by neglect', posted on September 3, 2019 by "John Howland"

I recently stumbled across a bizarre idea [...] “…it is better to leave objects and other evidence in the ground where it has been lying safely for hundreds or thousands of years. Here it remains safe for future generations to investigate with better techniques and with better-informed questions to ask.” Whoever dreamt up such idiocy obviously didn’t think it through to its logical conclusion. [...] Well, arkies and arkiedom, that’s fine…so don’t dig, be happy, but don’t try and palm this lunacy off on detectorists as ‘best practice.’ [...] [we, who] want no truck with the insanity of abandoning artefacts to the tender mercies of chemical deterioration, will rightly cast it aside as poor heritage practice and continue to bring fabulous historical items into the light of day for study and evaluation. Also, never let it be said it’s unethical to sell, or profit from any object found [...] What is unethical, is leaving artefacts in the ground [...] The utter lunacy of leaving valuable and notionally historical objects in the ground not only robs the heritage but seriously short-changes the public. It amounts to knowledge loss by neglect.

More Bazthugwittery: Fighting the Flies

The People want to overthrow
 their oppressors

Metal detectorist "John Howland" in "Dodge City" on May 9, 2019 at 6:39 pm reckons that:

Archaeological grip on the heritage is fortunately diminishing and they are clinging to power by their fingertips. Joe and Jill Public are pursuing their own heritage ambitions using their own means; and that often means using a metal detector. Their discoveries are simply amazing. Metal detecting, like relic collecting is wholesome, educational, and beneficial to the greater heritage good. Like it or not, some in our pastime don’t realise the struggle for metal detecting freedom has a serious political dimension. Our hobby has been so successful the British Government can’t afford to pay the LEGAL dues to finders under the laws of Treasure Trove; a situation the Comrades have jumped on to further their own stinking political ambitions to control populist heritage research and mug the populace of their property. Archaeology, especially here in the UK, has always attracted politicos of the extreme Left like flies to a turd [...] The real tragedy is that archaeology’s ordinary rank-and-file, the decent guys, can’t or won’t believe how they are being suckered in. [...] The truth always wins through in the end. It might take time and probably a few tears, but we’ll get there.