HI: I feel obligated to answer this since I am a serious treasure hunter, in fact a professional treasure hunter on land. I have been for years, and frankly I cannot think of a single act that I may have done that I should be ashamed of. Oh YES, I am after the money, and thoroughly enjoy it when I find it with a clear conscious, realizing that I am putting lost valuables back into the economy. The historical research is extremely rewarding also. In fact I am about to rewrite the history of Jesuit activities in north western Mexico and the Western US, also various exploration efforts by the Spanish and others..
I am surprised how easily the public, and particularly some detectorists, have assumed the cloak of being greedy or destructive by the various media by merely detecting. Frankly this is ridiculous. Enjoy it for whatever phase you wish with a clear conscious, it is fun..
As for holes, yes, they should be filled in, but seriously, all of the detectorists combined in a year, cannot equal the holes etc dug by animals daily in the search of food. As for the "ugh" factor, have you ever visited an area where a rock festival has been held the day after? Or for that matter, any major sporting event? We have entire families earning their living cleaning up after the other righteous ones. I doubt that detectorists can compete for sheer destructiveness or pollution - or should I say, piggishness?
Without treasure hunters, much of today's history would still be unwritten, may I point out Troy as an example? Or many other sites that were discovered by "greedy" treasure hunters. Practically none of the data on the Spanish treasure fleets or the Oriental trade fleets, would be known today without "greedy" treasure hunters. Since no govt's are wiling to finance these types of activities, the professional must do it himself, and since they invest vast sums of earned and lost income, as well as years in many cases, why shouldn't they be rewarded for their efforts? If they didn't do it, nothing would soon be left to recover.
No, I ama professional treasure hunter and am "not" ashamed of it, it has given me a life that I could never have hoped for if I had stayed at my civilian profession. I have had unique experiences which can never be reproduced in today's world. I have been able to explore from the Gobi to the Jungles of Yucatan, to the then unknown barrancas of north western Mexico, which rival the grand canyon is sheer magnificence. I have experienced the turning back of the clock to the 1800's, to where at times I could ride my mule for a week at a time without meeting another human, looking for lost Jesuit mines, successfully I might add. But frankly, the sheer enjoyment of this life style was payment in full. K, so I am atavistic heeheh.
No, the detectorist must learn to enjoy their hobby or business with a clear conscious, don't be brain washed into feeling guilty. The same media blissfully ignores destructive housing and commercial developments which have destroyed more archaeological sites in a year than a 1000 years of detectorist's efforts.
Side thingie, because of my side efforts of exploration as a professional treasure hunter, I have been elected into the Elite Explorers club. A boyhood dream come true.
www.explorers.org
I am also including a copy of another post that I did on earning a living as a professional treasure hunter.
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OHIO: Yes it IS still possible, BUT, only if you go at it like any other occupation - with the proper training, equipment, financing, and dedication. You will not make it as a week end hobbyist who is basically interested in fun with occasional luck, you must go at it full time, in both field and research...
If you hit one good one a year, you will be extremely lucky.
I know, since I have gone this route, I prob would have earned much more money, "until recently" if I had stayed in my chosen civilian profession. There were many lean periods where I could not even think of buying a coca cola or a cup of coffee without examining my personal finances very very carefully, than there were periods of "Wine and Roses"
If you are prepared to accept the lean periods, as well as the scarce Fat ones, then it can give you a life style, that is in my opinion, "incomparable".
Don Jose de La Mancha
p.s. As I memtioned when youi first entered kaya, you are now with your new family, enjoy us for better or worse.
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Never you LUV, just trying to let detectorists relax and enjoy their hobby or business without being made to feel guilty by the media, and some Archaeoligist's, false reporting. They have no reason to feel guilt, just enjoy..
Yay!!
Happy Easter.
