In Dorset (PA post shared with Somerset) we started from a slightly
different position, having had a fairly active Metal Detectorists Liaison
Scheme for a number of years.
Membership of the liaison scheme was fairly steady with around 70 people
(out of a group of about 100 with whom I had regular contact) being members
at any one time. A minority of these reported finds directly to the SMR
with (usually) complete grid references, some on condition that the
information will be kept confidential for a while - until they have
finished working the farm, or to be discussed after three years being
typical. A bit tricky from the ethical point of view, but always on the
very clear understanding that nothing is kept out of the SMR for too long.
The arrival of the PA scheme has enabled us to make contact with a wider
range of detectorists in particular (though Ciorstaidh Hayward Trevarthen,
our PA officer, has about fifty-fifty contact between detectorists and 'the
rest') and membership of the DCC liaison scheme has now swelled to around
100, and regular contacts to about 140. Those who are suspicious of the
SMR tend to talk to Ciorstaidh, and those who don't trust Portable
Antiquities tend to talk to me. Most of them do both! Now there are two
of us providing sensible information about what archaeologists want/have
the power to do and encouragement, the flow of information to the SMR has
increased and the quality of reported information has improved.
I am given copies of PA report forms for the SMR but, because of a fairly
long term technical hitch which has nothing to do with the PA scheme, the
information has not yet been entered. Of course, not all PA report forms
are copied to the SMR because some finders want it that way. This has to
be a matter of concern, but I know that Ciorstaidh pleads the cause of the
SMR whenever the opportunity presents itself.
There has been no real down side to the PA scheme in Dorset, unless you
count the fact that I am now rather more aware of what isn't being or may
not be reported to the SMR by metal detectorists. Now at least I have an
opportunity to latch on to those people who don't want to talk to SMRs.
Ciorstaidh's work has generated a lot of very positive publicity for DCC
within the county in general, and has brought people in to use the SMR who
wouldn't otherwise have known it existed.
Regards
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