monsterrack
Silver Member
- Joined
- Apr 15, 2013
- Messages
- 4,429
- Reaction score
- 5,831
- Golden Thread
- 0
- Location
- Southwest Mississippi
- Detector(s) used
- Garrett, and Whites
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
I was talking to an old friend who made the largest discovery of trade goods in the Mississippi Valley ever and I asked if he had it to do over again what would he do different. His response did not take me by surprise after all that I know what the system put him through. His words were( I would not tell a soul about one single item). This man was just an artifact hunter as all of us, he did his home work and put time in the field and when he did make a find, well when the media, politics and everyone got through with him he was next to scum at the bottom of the pond. My question to all of you is, if you found a load of artifacts and then realized you where in a burial, what would you do.
A. Put back the artifacts and cover up the burial an tell the state.
B. Keep what you had found and then cover the burial an tell the state.
C. Keep everything and not say a word about it.
I know that some people don't want to tarnish their reputation in the artifact community, and I understand that. But what I'm asking and was just wondering how many people would have the up standing morals to do the right thing. I know the temptation of not saying anything, I had to make that choice once in my life and it turned out for the good. 18 years ago while hunting arrowheads behind where there had been logging, we walked up on a site that I will never forget. Where the loggers had made their loader zone was on top of 20 graves and every time it got muddy, they would take a dozer and shove mud off the location. They had piled up trade artifacts every where, at first it was a mad dash to pick up items and then it dawned on us that these were grave goods (there was no bones or sign of bones). So after much talking about the pros and cons we contacted the state. When the state got there they took one look at the site and said it was destroyed and would do them no good, ( also said the state did not have the money)he gave us their blessing and we went to work(we had permission form the land owner to hunt artifacts). It did not go that well for my friend(who also had permission to hunt on the land by an agent of the land owner), it became a witch hunt and he was the witch. So what I'm asking and wondering what is the community's thoughts on such a touchy subject (be honest).
A. Put back the artifacts and cover up the burial an tell the state.
B. Keep what you had found and then cover the burial an tell the state.
C. Keep everything and not say a word about it.
I know that some people don't want to tarnish their reputation in the artifact community, and I understand that. But what I'm asking and was just wondering how many people would have the up standing morals to do the right thing. I know the temptation of not saying anything, I had to make that choice once in my life and it turned out for the good. 18 years ago while hunting arrowheads behind where there had been logging, we walked up on a site that I will never forget. Where the loggers had made their loader zone was on top of 20 graves and every time it got muddy, they would take a dozer and shove mud off the location. They had piled up trade artifacts every where, at first it was a mad dash to pick up items and then it dawned on us that these were grave goods (there was no bones or sign of bones). So after much talking about the pros and cons we contacted the state. When the state got there they took one look at the site and said it was destroyed and would do them no good, ( also said the state did not have the money)he gave us their blessing and we went to work(we had permission form the land owner to hunt artifacts). It did not go that well for my friend(who also had permission to hunt on the land by an agent of the land owner), it became a witch hunt and he was the witch. So what I'm asking and wondering what is the community's thoughts on such a touchy subject (be honest).
Upvote
0
