Officials seize 27k artifacts looted by a single French treasure hunter
smithsonianmag.com
Officials seize 27k artifacts looted by a single French treasure hunter
1–10 of 62 posts
Re: Officials seize 27k artifacts looted by a single French treasure hunter
#2> As Daniel Boffey notes for the Guardian, using a metal detector for anything other than scientific research is outlawed in France.
Oh wow, there must be a big story behind this law. How could something so mundane as a metal detector be banned? The article says he "stole these from sites", is that implying he went to active dig sites or public attractions?
There is so much to unpack here. Are ground penetrating radars also banned?
Re: Officials seize 27k artifacts looted by a single French treasure hunter
#3Wait, he went around different sites all around two countries digging this stuff up, and officials were surprised he didn’t turn it over to the state?
Nobody could be bothered to retrieve these artifacts in the first place. I don’t see how the state has (or should have) any more inherent right to them than this guy.
The least they could do is pay him for the objects. Apparently they’re worth 700k!
Re: Officials seize 27k artifacts looted by a single French treasure hunter
#4> As Daniel Boffey notes for the Guardian, using a metal detector for anything other than scientific research is outlawed in France. Oh wow, there must be a big story behind this law. How could something so mundane as a metal detector be banned? The article says he "stole these from sites", is that implying he went to active dig sites or public attractions? There is so much to unpack here. Are ground penetrating rada…
Cf https://www.degruyter.com/downloadpdf/journals/opar/2/1/arti... [PDF] for some background on the law.
Re: Officials seize 27k artifacts looted by a single French treasure hunter
#5Wait, he went around different sites all around two countries digging this stuff up, and officials were surprised he didn’t turn it over to the state? Nobody could be bothered to retrieve these artifacts in the first place. I don’t see how the state has (or should have) any more inherent right to them than this guy. The least they could do is pay him for the objects. Apparently they’re worth 700k!
No. There are two issues: the artifacts are not just treasure - scientifically their context (in the ground and in time) is what matters, the context the treasure hunter removed them from. I.e., he prevented scientists from ever being able do the digs themselves. The other issue is that, AFAIK, scientists often prefer to leave parts of sites intact for future research, presumably hoping for better technology in the future.
Re: Officials seize 27k artifacts looted by a single French treasure hunter
#6> As Daniel Boffey notes for the Guardian, using a metal detector for anything other than scientific research is outlawed in France. Oh wow, there must be a big story behind this law. How could something so mundane as a metal detector be banned? The article says he "stole these from sites", is that implying he went to active dig sites or public attractions? There is so much to unpack here. Are ground penetrating rada…
Same BS law in Poland. No one bothers to look for stuff, but if you happen to find anything you are automatically a criminal.
Re: Officials seize 27k artifacts looted by a single French treasure hunter
#7“This is a clear message to those who, for the benefit and selfish pleasure of a few, rob us of our common heritage and erase entire swaths of our history.”
There should be a better process to legally report the items or exchange them for market value so this wouldn't happen in the first place?
Re: Officials seize 27k artifacts looted by a single French treasure hunter
#8Wait, he went around different sites all around two countries digging this stuff up, and officials were surprised he didn’t turn it over to the state? Nobody could be bothered to retrieve these artifacts in the first place. I don’t see how the state has (or should have) any more inherent right to them than this guy. The least they could do is pay him for the objects. Apparently they’re worth 700k!
The UK has similar laws, requiring people who find things defined under the Treasure Act 1996 (except in Scotland) as treasure to report their find to a coroner within 14 days. See:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasure_Act_1996
Finders have to offer the treasure for sale to a museum/similar at a price determined by an independent panel.
The UK also has broader, older rules governing "treasure trove", with slight regional variations. See:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasure_trove
The bottom line isn't "finders keepers", but rewards are fair and often handsome. The rules try to strike a balance between public interest/education, common good, and providing an incentive against individual greed.
Re: Officials seize 27k artifacts looted by a single French treasure hunter
#9> As Daniel Boffey notes for the Guardian, using a metal detector for anything other than scientific research is outlawed in France. Oh wow, there must be a big story behind this law. How could something so mundane as a metal detector be banned? The article says he "stole these from sites", is that implying he went to active dig sites or public attractions? There is so much to unpack here. Are ground penetrating rada…
The reason is assholes like the guy in this article. Metal detectors are banned in Sweden too and I am all in favor of that law.
Re: Officials seize 27k artifacts looted by a single French treasure hunter
#10> As Daniel Boffey notes for the Guardian, using a metal detector for anything other than scientific research is outlawed in France. Oh wow, there must be a big story behind this law. How could something so mundane as a metal detector be banned? The article says he "stole these from sites", is that implying he went to active dig sites or public attractions? There is so much to unpack here. Are ground penetrating rada…
Same BS law in Poland. No one bothers to look for stuff, but if you happen to find anything you are automatically a criminal.
No, if you do it for personal profit.
Its not unreasonable for the rules to be something more than the playground "Finders, Keepers". Grow up.
Further, Poland has one of the highest rates of metal detector usage.