The good news is that the Celtic Festival was a success! Thank you to everyone who participated--from the vendors to the performers, to the guests and especially the volunteers. You all worked so hard to create such a wonderful event! I would also like to thank those from the Temple community who came out to support me and the event (and of course enjoy some ice cream, beer and bagpiping).
I enjoyed sharing my project and my finds with the visitors. So many people genuintely seemed interested in the archaeology of the site. One of my many goals is to make people aware of GP's complex and rich history and as a result, gain a greater respect for the cultural value of all sites.
Photos courtesy of Elizabeth McGinsky
Unfortunately, my respect for the site is not contagious. While all of us at GP are vigilant protectors of this park, which is very near and dear to us, there are certain things that are just out of our control. As a result of some conversations and experiences that I had this week, I felt the need to tackle the whole metal detecting/digging issue. Let me say this first of all: It is not a hobby. It is not a way to make a quick fortune. It is not ethical. IT IS NOT LEGAL. Use all of the euphamisms you want (treasure hunting, investigating, researching, and my personal favorite, "saving" the artifacts), you are LOOTING. You are destroying the history of a site without any proper procedures. Archaeology is destructive by nature. But that is why you go to field schools, you have internships, you earn degrees--you become educated about to accurately document and handle what you are excavating. By digging things up without the appropriate knowledge, you are destroying the historical context of a site. Without knowing where you found an artifact (horizontally, vertically, and its association with other possible objects), its meaning is lost and it is not something you can ever get back. Part of what archaeologists and historians do is share their research with the rest of the world. It is our cultural heritage--we are all linked, we all share the past, and we all deserve to have equal access to it.
These few points may deter some people from metal detecting and looting. I know that many, if not most, people are driven by $$$$--the possibility that you could find a Civil War button or a rare coin from the 1700s worth thousands of dollars. For those people, the historical significance is insignificant. I could talk to these people until I was blue in the face about ethics, integrity, etc., but at the end of the day the bottom line is money and bragging rights. It reminds me of trophy hunters who display the heads of the animals that they kill. Especially after coming into contact with some of these "treasure seekers" at GP, it is clear that their ego is all wrapped up in this "hobby" and they just love to talk about all of the valuable things that they found over the years. And funny enough, in their deluded logic, they think that telling me all of this stuff will somehow impress me. You know what impresses me? Professionalism and respect.
Now onto the laws. Federal laws protecting natural and cultural resources date back all the way to the early 1900s. Here is a rundown of the laws relevant to this issue:
American Antiquities Act of 1906
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That any person who shall appropriate, excavate, injure, or destroy any historic or prehistoric ruin or monument, or any object of antiquity, situated on lands owned or controlled by the Government of the United States, without the permission of the Secretary of the Department of the Government having jurisdiction over the lands on which said antiquities are situated, shall, upon conviction, be fined in a sum of not more than five hundred dollars or be imprisoned for a period of not more than ninety days, or shall suffer both fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the court.
National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 This act supplements the provisions of the Antiquities Act of 1906. The law makes it illegal to destroy, excavate or remove information from Federal or Indian lands any archeological resources without a permit from the land manager. Permits may be issued only to educational or scientific institutions and only if the resulting activities will increase knowledge about archeological resources. Regulations for the ultimate disposition of materials recovered as a result of permitted activities state that archeological resources excavated on public lands remain the property of the United States. Archeological resources excavated from Indian lands remain the property of the Indian or Indian tribe having rights of ownership over such resources.
The Archaeological Resources Protection Act Of 1979
The term "archaeological resource" means any material remains of past human life or activities which are of archaeological interest, as determined under uniform regulations promulgated pursuant to this chapter. Such regulations containing such determination shall include, but not be limited to: pottery, basketry, bottles, weapons, weapon projectiles, tools, structures or portions of structures, pit houses, rock paintings, rock carvings, intaglios, graves, human skeletal materials, or any portion or piece of any of the foregoing items. Nonfossilized and fossilized paleontological specimens, or any portion or piece thereof, shall not be considered archaeological resources, under the regulations under this paragraph, unless found in archaeological context. No item shall be treated as an archaeological resource under regulations under this paragraph unless such item is at least 100 years of age.
No person may excavate, remove, damage, or otherwise alter or deface, or attempt to excavate, remove, damage, or otherwise alter or deface any archaeological resource located on public lands or Indian lands unless such activity is pursuant to a permit issued under section 470cc of this title, a permit referred to in section 470cc(h)(2) of this title, or the exemption contained in section 470cc(g)(1) of this title.
So there you have it. Graeme Park is owned by the state of Pennsylvania. It is designated public land. It is a National Historic Landmark. IT IS ILLEGAL FOR YOU TO DIG HERE. You will face jail and/or fines. As Americans, we just love our private property laws. While I am not condoning just digging holes for the fun of it, if you feel the need to "treasure hunt," conduct it on your own property or get the permission of a friend or family member. Please do not visit a site such as Graeme Park. I know that the actions of some disreputable "enthusiasts" ruin it for others who abide by the laws. In fact, some professional metal detecting groups work WITH archaeologists. I am not targeting these people. I am targeting those that disregard the law.
One final note. As I was searching for more information on these laws, I came across a metal detecting website and forum. The website administrator had this little jewel to share:
Archaeologists: The Supreme Diggers
For years, Archaeologists across the country, as well as state bureaucracies, have manipulated the American Antiquities Act of 1906, ARPA, the National Historic Preservation Act, and many State laws. The Archaeology communities have bended, stretched, and remolded the above Federal laws to aide their agenda.
What is their agenda?
Their agenda is to control every item of history. This includes every relic, artifact, coin, bottle, pottery and Indian arrowheads, etc, that lay beneath the grounds surface.
Well I know I won't stop until I have every single artifact ever discovered in my secret underground artifact arsenal at an undisclosed location. But in all seriousness, I know that this is how some people feel. And I will agree that some professionals do have agendas and want to exercise control--you find people like that in all walks of life. I cannot speak to other departments, but my department at Temple University prides itself on our commitment to Public History and Archaeology. We are dedicated to making our work accessible to non-archaeologists whenever possible. My table at Celtic Fest was the first of many attempts to engage the public with my work and allow them access to my findings. Despite what this individual thinks, we are a community that wants to present the past in a responsible way. If you want to call that hoarding, then fine. But I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with archaeologists and historians who make it a priority to share the knowledge and experiences with others. I will continue to protect this site and make my work accessible to anyone who wants to learn.
No comments:
Post a Comment