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Metal Detecting Hobby Talk
   December 2019         Metal Detecting Hobby Talk News Brief                                             Volume 11 Number 117
Metal Detecting Hobby Talk Support The Hobby
I would like to point out to the News Brief readers that there are a number of organizations taking on the challenge against various types of legislation dealing with metal detecting and gold prospecting. MDHTALK's recommendation is to visit their website and give strong consideration to joining the fight. In some cases your support may be to send emails and / or write a letter to specific legislators or to provide funds to help with the fight. Here are the organizations and a link to their website.
Go to the Join The Fight MDHTALK Webpage to read more about each of these organizations

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December

What is a News Brief?
The news brief provides a brief look into any news event. The intent of the news brief is to provide you, the reader, with news clips on what was taking place in the hobby last month. To read the whole story select the Article Link or go to MDHTALK.org. There are more news stories placed on the MDHTALK website for November the news stories listed in the MDHTALK News Brief are just a portion of all the hobby related news reported the past month.  The news Brief is now available in Adobe PDF format, there is a link at the top of this webpage. The news brief is no longer emailed; it is only available on the MDHTALK website and can be downloaded.

The Website's featured article for this month is: Recreational Metal Detecting on the Endangered List?

To View the Complete Article Download this article

Metal Detecting took form in the 1950-60s and the detectorists who were metal detecting at that time had very few restrictions and the finds were fabulous. Metal detecting during this period can be described similar to being in the old west with open ranges and anything goes. The finds stories from those in the hobby during that period are hard to believe against today’s detecting results.

So is Metal detecting on the Endangered List?
Let’s take a look at the barriers and variables that affect the hobby.

Barriers to Recreational Metal Detecting


The Law:
Today, the U.S. metal detecting environment is controlled by a hodgepodge of Federal, State, City, County laws. A major reason for this is that there is no regulation, law or statue at the Federal level that provides any support for recreational metal detecting.

Some of the Federal statues were written before metal detecting became a popular hobby and since these acts were drafted to protect America’s Heritage it may have been felt that users of a metal detector on federal lands would rob America of some of its heritage. There were four major federal acts drafted to protect America’s heritage and everyone (detectorist) should read each of them. They are:
  • 1906 American Antiquities Act act link
  • 1966 National Historic Preservation Act, As amended in 2000 act link
  • 1979 Archaeological Resources Protection Act act link
  • 1990 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act act link
The four acts indeed do protect Americas Heritage but at the same time limit or in most situations make metal detecting an unlawful act. If someone is caught metal detecting in National Parks, National Historical Sites, National Monuments, National Recreational Areas, Native American Lands or on archaeological sites the penalties can be severe. There are a few exceptions where portions of Federal Forest Service and BLM lands allow metal detecting if no archaeology sites are present.
Hobby Related News
General U.S. and World Wide Hobby News
  • Crivitz residents live in the shadow of an offensively-named hill and a legendary buried treasure. Article Link
  • Are Volusia beaches narrower than in the past?. Article Link
  • Authorities Recover 10,000 Artifacts Stolen by International Antiquities Trafficking Ring. Article Link
  • All Those Finds on Pickers? Here's Where You Can Shop Them. Article Link
  • Uncover the treasure. Article Link
  • Was a $280 million emerald destroyed in California wildfire? PG&E is dubious. Article Link
  • The Curse of Oak Island recap: It’s time to drain the swamp, plus a DYNAMITE new discovery. Article Link
  • Crime Doesn’t Pay. Article Link
  • Treasure hunters at Jersey Shore hope to land big prize at Jersey Shore Treasure Hunt. Article Link
  • 'The Curse of Oak Island': 5 Things We Can Expect From Season 7. Article Link
  • Feet of gold as a Russian traveler tries to smuggle 2kg of gold taped to her soles. Article Link
U.K. News
  • Pembrokeshire chariot burial finds ruled as treasure. Article Link
  • Dozens of buried treasure troves found in Cheshire and Merseyside since 2012. Article Link
  • Detectorists jailed for stealing £12m Viking hoard of gold and silver. Article Link
  • Metal detectorists found guilty of concealing £3m of Viking treasure. Article Link
  • Witham school kids become treasure hunters for the day. Article Link
  • Amateur Indiana Joneses armed with metal detectors find treasures across Cornwall. Article Link
  • Pennies from heaven: Preacher unearths Anglo-Saxon coin hoard in Shropshire. Article Link
  • Amateur metal detectorist who found gold Medieval ring in Robin Hood's Sherwood Forest prepares for a life-changing windfall as it is tipped to fetch £50,000 at auction. Article Link
  • London's 'Mudlark' Pulls Treasure From The Thames. Article Link
  • Metal detectorists unearth 11th century Anglo-Saxon coins near Oswestry. Article Link
  • Metal detecting was the best way to unearth lost treasure, according to the figures. Article Link
  • Gold plated 'hippo ivory' dentures discovered by Brill metal detectorist set to fetch thousands at auction. Article Link
  • Detectorists find 37 pieces of treasure in Devon. Article Link
  • This is the moment metal detectorists looking for a mate's wedding ring discover haul of gold coins worth at least 100k. Article Link
  • Three lots of buried treasure discovered on Isle of Wight — including 600BC axeheads and medieval gold ring. Article Link
  • Amazing £3m ‘war hoard’ of 6,000 gold artefacts from 650AD uncovered in Staffordshire field using £2 metal detector. Article Link
North America Archaeology News
  • FBI working with local archaeology institute to recover stolen artifacts. Article Link
  • Archaeologists Find More Graves at Forgotten Zion Cemetery. Article Link
  • Construction Workers Find “Incredibly Rare” Remains of 8,000-Year-Old Village in Massachusetts. Article Link
  • Torched town from Texas Revolution reemerges in archaeological dig west of Houston. Article Link
  • World’s Deepest Shipwreck Is WWII Destroyer Lost in the Philippine Sea. Article Link
  • Archaeologists Rush To Save Oregon's Chinese Mining Sites. Article Link
  • A drone helped archaeologists discover a lost Florida island settlement. Article Link
  • Experts push for archaeology law in Charleston to preserve historically black cemeteries. Article Link
Other News Sources
  • Archaeology and Metal Detecting Magazine present the BIG metal detecting podcast. A weekly show bringing all areas of history together with our guests, news and much more. Pod Cast Link
  • American Digger Relic Roundup. For diggers and collectors of history. An hour long program every Monday Night at 9:00 PM eastern standard time. Join your hosts Butch Holcombe, Jeff Lubbert and Heath Jones as they explore the past. Learn more about Metal Detecting, Treasure hunting in all it's forms, and the preservation of history. Hour Long Pod Cast Link
  • American Mining Rights Assn is not a gold club but rather an advocacy group for miners and public land users to preserve and maintain their rights as they pertain to access to their public lands. November News
  • Coin World - Numismatic and Coin Collecting Coin News
  • Gold Prospectors Assn of America (GPAA) - News on legal issues for the gold prospecting community  News, November Newsletter
  • Prospecting and Mining Journal (IMCJ)  November News
  • Public Lands For The People, (PLP) November Update
  • 1715 Fleet Society December Newsletter
Jewelry Returns
  • Metal-detecting club recovers ring lost in ’80s. Article Link
  • Metal detector finds, returns ’81 class ring. Article Link
  • ‘I thought it was lost forever': Man finds, returns wedding ring lost in Cocoa Beach sand. Article Link,
  • Canberran helps stranger find missing ring with metal detector. Article Link
  • Eastbourne man loses wedding ring in the sea - but miraculously finds it. Article Link
  • Metal detector reunites woman with engagement ring lost at Marchwiel stables. Article Link
  • Grandfather is moved to tears after treasure hunter finds and returns his wedding ring more than 40 years after he lost it. Article Link
  • Treasure hunter finds class ring after missing for 44 years, tracks down owner. Article Link
W.W. Meteorite News
  • VIDEO: Flaming 200-pound space rock lights up skies, triggers meteorite Hunt. Article Link
  • Museum in Maine offering $25K for piece of meteor that flew over St. Louis area. Article Link
  • Scientists search for remnants of meteorite in Missouri. Article Link
  • Reward offered for huge, brilliant meteor caught on two Willard school cameras. Article Link
  • The sky is falling every day. Really. But how many people get hit by meteorites each year? Article Link
  • The man inspired by Christmas Eve Barwell meteor shower who has collected space rocks from around the world. Article Link
   
Event News
Metal Detecting & Gold Prospecting Events.
Now is the time to start planning and getting your club's 2020/21 hunt information on the web. The sooner it is out and available to the metal detecting community the greater the chance for people to see it and give your event some consideration.



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the Complete Event Details for December

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 City of Savannah, Georgia
Archaeological Resource Protection Draft Ordinance


Sec. X-XXXXX. Archaeological Assessment

A. Preliminary Archaeological Assessment: Phase I Survey. Prior to any land disturbance on public property, the City shall be required to conduct a Phase I Archaeological Survey by a qualified archaeologist.

1. Preliminary Archaeological Assessment Criteria. A qualified archaeologist will conduct a preliminary assessment of the potential archaeological significance and the impact of any proposed ground disturbing activities on the site, based on the following criteria:

a. Research value. The extent to which the potential archaeological data would contribute to the expansion of knowledge.
b. Rarity. The degree of uniqueness of the archaeological data and the potential for providing information about a person, structure, or event for which there are few examples or little is known about in Savannah.
c. Public value. The level of importance the property has to the community as a location associated with a significant person, structure or event.
d. Site integrity. The extent to which soil stratigraphy and original placement and condition of archaeological resources on the property have not been disturbed or altered in a manner which appreciably reduces their research or public value.
e. Presence of materials. The extent to which archaeological resources are present on the property.
f. Impact on resources. The extent to which the proposed ground disturbing activities will alter or destroy resources which have been determined to have substantial significance as outlined above.

2. Determination of no archaeological significance. If the qualified archaeologist determines that the site has no substantial archaeological significance or that the proposed development will not have a substantial adverse impact on any potential archaeological resources, no additional review is required.

3. Determination of archaeological significance. If the qualified archaeologist determines that the site has the potential for substantial archaeological significance and that the proposed development will have a substantial adverse impact on archaeological resources, the City Manager may require that Phase II Testing be completed on the site.

B. Archaeological Evaluation Report: Phase II Testing. The City shall develop an Archaeological Evaluation Report prepared by a qualified archaeologist which includes detailed evaluation of the archaeological significance of the site including, but not limited to, reasonable measures for historic research, archaeological surveys and test excavations.

1. Archaeological Evaluation Report Criteria: A qualified archaeologist shall determine whether the proposed project will have an adverse effect on archaeological resources listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

2. Determination of no archaeological significance. If the qualified archaeologist determines that the site has no substantial archaeological significance or that the proposed land disturbance will not have a substantial adverse impact on any potential archaeological resources eligible for or listed on the National Register, based on the Phase II Testing, no additional review is required under this ordinance.

3. Determination of archaeological significance. If the Phase II Testing confirms the existence of significant archaeological resources eligible for or listed on the National Register and that the proposed development will have a substantial adverse impact on those resources, the City Manager may require Phase III Mitigation.

C. Mitigation Plan: Phase III Archaeology. A qualified archaeologist shall develop a mitigation plan which includes reasonable measures for the study and preservation of archaeological resources on the site, including, but not limited to, test and full-scale excavations, site construction monitoring, field recording, photography, laboratory analysis, conservation of organic and metal artifacts, curation of the collection and preparation of reports. The City Manager must approve the Mitigation Plan prior to additional site disturbance.

D. During Construction. If an unidentified archaeological site is discovered during the course of construction, the project manager shall immediately notify the City Manager. Within five business days, the City Manager shall evaluate the significance of the finding and evaluate according to the assessment criteria above. The City Manager will determine if additional testing and evaluation is necessary. If human remains are is covered, all construction activities shall immediately cease and the project manager shall immediately contact local law enforcement and the City Manager and follow Georgia legislative code regarding such remains.

Sec. X-XXXXX. Ownership of Artifacts All artifacts uncovered, recovered or discovered on public property shall belong to the Cit y. The Cit y Manager shall be responsible for determining the appropriate and acceptable repository for long-term storage, care, protection, preservation and so that they may be accessible to the public for educational purposes.

Sec. X-XXXXX. Human Remains. If human remains are found on any property, public or private, the property owner must comply with O.C.G.A. 36-72-1 et seq.

Sec. X-XXXXX. Prohibited Acts. It shall be unlawful for any person to excavate, remove, damage or attempt to excavate, remove or damage any archaeological resource located in the City limits on public property without a permit issued by the City Manager. The use of a metal detector, probe or similar such device or instrument on public property without the prior written approval of the City Manager is prohibited.

Each violation of this section shall be subject to penalties provided in Sec. 1-1001 of this Code

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