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Select Here to View the MDHTALK's January News Brief in Adobe .PDF
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| January 2023 | Metal Detecting Hobby Talk News Brief Volume 12 Number 155 |
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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. |
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MDHTALK News Pages U.S. & W.W. News U.K. News U.S. Archaeology U.S. Legislation W.W. Meteoritic Other Media MDHTALK Article Links Return Stories MDHTALK Find a Club Read Newsletters FaceBook Clubs MDHTALK Event Calendar January |
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 December 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: Banned Metal Detecting: By Lee Wiese, Download this Article
Metal Detecting Early Years A very early Federal act AAA-American Antiquities Act of 1906 is a very broad Federal law that addressed historical sites. However, it had little to no impact on metal detecting before the ARPA act in 1979. In the early years, 1950s - 1980s, there were few detectorists in the hobby and no local or state laws against metal detecting. The hobby was pretty much a user’s choice of where and how to practice metal detecting on most public lands. How Did Change in Law and Attitude Come About?  The change in attitude towards metal detecting started
to take place with the passing of the Federal
ARPA-Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979.
This act set the stage for the establishment of federal,
state and local agencies to identify and define
archaeological sites as protected and making these sites
off limits to many people related activities including
the hobby of metal detecting.The Federal NHPA-National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 as amended in 2000 was passed before the ARPA-Archaeological Resources Protection Act. The 1966 Act set in motion the requirements to identify structures and surrounding grounds that could be or are of historical significances and should be protected for future generations of Americans. Following are two major Federal acts were passed after ARPA: Each of these acts are more specific in their protection of certain human remains, lands and sites. The adoption of these five acts at the Federal Government level put in place the ability for states and local governments to follow suit and either adopt these acts in whole as their state law or to write their own regulations and laws to complement the Federal Acts. Examples of direct regulations against metal detecting may be worded similar to the following:
 Today, the result of these five Federal acts is that more and
more local cities, towns, schools and counties are closing their
public land to metal detecting. The type of regulation that is
being put in place against metal detecting can be either
directly related or indirectly related to the metal detecting
hobby.Since the adoption of the ARPA-Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 archaeologist have been hired at almost all levels of government to identify archaeological sites and to get regulations and laws passed to protect archaeological sites. During the past 20 years this has taken place at a rapid rate in the U.S. Archaeologist have also contributed to a negative attitude toward detectorist that has permeated all levels of government and the public at large. Keep in mind that metal detecting hobbyist do not have a voice in Federal or State governments. There is not a strong metal detecting association in the U.S. that can represent metal detectorists. However, there have been cases of hobby support by local metal detecting clubs in some communities. This is rare but it does happen. Another contributing factor is that many detectorists do not practice good target recovery methods on public grounds. This has caused many cities, towns and counties to create laws or regulations that impact metal detecting on non-related archaeology sites. (parks and beaches in general)  Never bring shovels, spades or any digging tool that should only be used in a garden to recover a coin target in a park. Tools of the trade to recover a coin target are: 10 inch- ¼ inch shaft screw driver, 6-to-8-inch knife, a drop cloth and an electronic pin pointer. Also carry a bag or apron where you can place trash that is recovered while metal detecting. What Can Be Done? Manufacturers, distributors and dealers must step-up and provide hands on training for every new detector sold before it is taken into possession much like when you purchase a fire arm. In most states to purchase a fire arm you must first go to a class on safe and proper operation. Strong manufacture involvement is a requirement not just a pamphlet but hands on how to practice the hobby correctly and safely. Individuals who metal detect must take ownership for their behavior and practice Responsible Metal Detecting while out detecting.  Responsible Metal Detecting is to:
These small steps will not do away or improve the current metal detecting environment in the U.S. but may slow the change that is currently taking place which is to eliminate the use of metal detectors on public property. |
eone in the
past had created holes in the park ground while metal detecting
and the city had banned future use of metal detectors.
know I've been
watching you for a while, and I like what I saw. You made two
trips to the trash can and I can't tell where you have been
digging. Just wanted to say thanks, and keep doing what you are
doing. The problem is that someone from the Parks and Recreation
Program may run you off. They don't even allow tent pegs in the
ground." About a half hour later the Parks and Recreation guy
shows up and I was tossed out of the park.|
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General U.S. and World Wide Hobby News
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Other News Sources
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Website |
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Two men who stole a Viking treasure hoard worth in excess of £3.2m have been
ordered to repay over £600,000 each. George Powell, 41, and Layton Davies, 54, now have three months to pay back the money in full or they will have five years and four months added onto their current prison sentences. The metal detectorists were jailed in November 2019 for stealing the "emblematic" Leominster Hoard of coins and priceless jewellery worth up to £12 million – much of which is still missing. The items, many of which were Anglo Saxon but are typical of a Viking burial hoard, were dug up on Herefordshire farmland on June 2, 2015. Scheming Powell and Davies were sentenced to 10 years and eight years six months respectively after being found guilty of theft, conspiracy to conceal criminal property, and conspiracy to convert criminal property. However, the sentence was later reduced to six years and five years following a successful appeal. The Confiscation Order, under the Proceeds or Crime Act 2002, was made on Wednesday at Worcester Crown Court, after His Honour Judge Cartwright rejected the evidence presented by both men at the contested hearing, giving a number of reasons. These mainly centred around conflicting evidence presented in both the 2019 criminal trial and the Confiscation Contested Hearing. He also rejected Davies’s claims that he played a reduced role in the criminal enterprise claiming he didn’t stand to benefit equally with Powell. The Judge disagreed and made a hidden assets order whereby he determined that they both still possess the coins and that the value of these coins is £600,000 each. Superintendent Edd Williams, local policing commander for Herefordshire, said: “I’m delighted with today’s result, which brings closure to an investigation which we have been working on for seven years. “The Confiscation Order, coupled with the sentences Powell and Davies received, send a strong and clear message that we take this sort of crime very seriously and will take action. It is a criminal offence to not declare finds of treasure to the local coroner’s office. “I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank our partners, including Herefordshire County Council’s conservation and environment team and The British Museum, for their support in bringing this case to a successful conclusion.” The convictions followed a lengthy investigation by West Mercia Police following several reports from the metal detecting community and the British Museum of an unreported large treasure find near Eye in Herefordshire in 2015. It was discovered that the men had visited the site of the hoard, which included Anglo-Saxon coins, jewellery and silver ingots, during spring 2015. They not only failed to disclose the extent of their discovery - a requirement under the Treasure Act 1996 - but also sold a large number of the items for significant personal financial gain. The treasure, dating back 1,100 years, was described by experts as being of national importance both for Anglo-Saxon coinage and for the wider understanding of a key period in English history. It is thought the trove was buried by someone within the Great Viking Army in either 878 or 879, which by then was being forced back east by an alliance of Saxon forces. Dr Gareth Williams of the British Museum said: “It is not just the theft of the objects that is important in this case. It is the fact that the knowledge has effectively been stolen from everyone." |
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Metal Detecting & Gold Prospecting Events.
Now is the time to start planning and getting your club's 2023/24 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. |
Check out your event before going it may have been postponed or canceled. Select here to View the Complete Event |
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Metal Detecting Hobby Talk MDHTALK HOME PAGE http://www.mdhtalk.org |