It's harsh to criticise all detectorists becuase
of the actions of a few. How would professional
archaeoloogists feel if tarred with the same
brush as Time Team personnel (OK, don't answer
that!!).

Preservation in  situ is fine, but only if such
preservation is practically possible. If the
archaeological resource was under threat due to
any number of unavaoidable factors, ploughing,
erosion, drainage, construction activity etc, it
is probable that rescue excavation would be
considered as mitigation. So why not when a site
has been identified and targetted by illegal
detectorists?

Funding for such work should come from central
sources as does the reparation costs of other
criminal activities.  Unless of course the
culprits can be prosecuted and forced to pay for
the 'clean-up'. I would have thought that
web-sites offering illegally obtained objects for
sale could be included in that category.





=====
kevin

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