Hi all,
I cannot speak for the rest of the world, but as a federal archaeologist here
in the U.S. I have seen 10 times more damage done by wanna be professionals
who are often only looking for historical artifacts, than any good that has
ever been done by them. They have taken everything that has not been nailed
down on most of our sites and then have came back with heavy equipment for
the rest. Here in the Black Hills of South Dakota I feel that we have one of
the most exciting mining legacies in the world, but most of the sites that
are left the mill houses have been ripped down for their weathered wood to
make antique picture frames. All the ore tracks have been ripped out, and ore
carts grace the lawns of the vandal's homes. A hobby archaeologist can be a
real asset to the public record, when working with a professional
archaeologist. Otherwise they are merely looters. Sorry if this rubs some of
you wrong, but I have had to do the investigations on too many looted sites
where the folks just thought they were collecting unwanted trash and
destroyed the sub-surface component in the process.....
Jerry Bryant
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