(Text to a reply post by Keith Wills to the proverbial question..)
Very sorry and I don't mean to butt in here, but I would like to address your question. Since the 70's I have met and been friends to a number of state and federal archeologist in our country and if you ever wanted to see a great collection of artifacts, metal and pottery that has been DUG by them, then you need to visit some of the archeologist even in your own area. In comparison, all of their collections make mine look pale. If we look at the point of view of such artifacts being placed in museums or other places for the public to admire and learn from, these collection are sure not any help. As for disturbing cultural sites, seldom does the archeological community care of 90% of the sites found in past years for several reasons. The site has the same evidence as so many other sites they have worked over the years, thus there is no archeological value to those sites. (Example the pre-historic mammoth sites in Canada) There is nothing more for them to learn of this animal so hundreds of residents in that country now own mammoth bones. If we as detectorist dig tomorrow a very nice 1901 Silver Barber half dollar, then please tell me what your going to learn from this that all of us don't already know, yet the Forest Service and BLM consider that a valued artifact. Just the same as if we dug a 1864 Yankee tent stake, please explain to me what it is we don't know about that particular stake and how it differs from every stake like it that has been dug in the past? Please don't start with the old standby as the context of where the stake was found, for you already know the arrangement of every Yankee Camp and how it was laid out, and the details of daily routine within that camp. So no new cultural evidence can be found here, yet it is considered off limits to us all, just because it is still considered an artifact or suspected artifact.
Now lets take a look at the realistic numbers of whom is locating many of the archeological & historical sites in America today. Well it's the metal detectorist, for in the last three decades it is very well known of detectorist discovery of hundreds of new sites of interest of which they have been more than happy to hand over to state archeologist so that they may in fact, discover more important evidence of past cultures if it exist! I believe that is the definition for Archeology if I'm not mistaken. Also, let's take into the account of those archeologist that see us as a "supporting group" in their need to discover more. Say like at the battle field of Custer, where not once but twice we were ask by Federal and state archeologist to assist in helping them locate the correct site of the battle field. For years we have been asking archeologist to allow us to assist them in their digs, so to learn more of the methods to retrieve items and document conditions of the discovery. Yet at every turn we are cut-off, called names, accused or worse. You can look at all this from our point of view, if you were an archeologist and one of your clan was caught stealing artifacts from lets say the Smithsonian (as they did several years ago), does that mean that every archeologist in America are thieves? Why not, one of you stole artifacts, doesn't that make all of you guilty? Well the modern detectorist has the same problem by such folks as archeologist, environmentalist and historical groups. One renegade with a detector breaks the law and even though we all detest his actions, we are still ear marked by these groups, of all being just as bad as the law breaker with a detector. There are still hundreds of sites un-discovered, which many will be found by detectorist and passed on to archeologist in the future. Yet there are hundreds of such sites even when they are discovered has little or no interest to the archeological community other than to see if they can close the area to those that just might make a discovery and share that discovery with thousands of others.
One more example I would like to pass on: In 1967 shipwrecks were found and located by treasure hunters and detectorist on the Texas Coast on Padre Island. The state of Texas said they wanted all that was found and demanded it. At that time only salvage law existed, the state had no laws to provide for their ownership to those discoveries. Since the legislator only met once every two years in Texas, they could not change the law. So Texas went to the federal government and the federal government said sure we can help. We will claim all the area as National Seashore and stop all removal of the items found and discovered by those that researched the shipwrecks and have true ownership. Now in all this time that has passed, not one single government operation or archeological group has attempted to recover this great find of artifacts, coins and wealth to learn the cultural significance of that time period of pirates such as John Lafitte. It is said by our own government that in this area is enough riches to pay our national debt off several times, yet the answer we get from them is: "we just don't want you to have it". So archeologist and our government is not interested in helping the America people, they are just interested in destroying our recreational hobbies, refusing public land access and take private property rights away from their owners.
Keith Wills