13

14

Chapter 2: Tools of the Trade

Toward a Code of Custodianship

This book proposes a simple code:

• Listen before you dig.

• Document what you find.
  
  
• Report with care.

• Respect the land.

• Share the story.

This code is not enforced by law, it is upheld by conscience. It is the difference between extraction and remembrance.

The Ethics of Reporting

The ethics of unearthing are rarely black and white. They unfold in muddy fields, in moments of uncertainty, in the quiet thrill of a signal that might be something, or nothing. They emerge not only in what is found, but in how it is handled, shared and remembered. Reporting a find is not a bureaucratic chore, it is a ceremonial act.

• It acknowledges the land as archive.

• It invites others into the story.

A Ritual of Return

This book proposes a closing ritual for every find:

• Pause: Hold the object. Reflect on its journey.

• Document: Photograph, record location, describe conditions.

• Report: Submit to the appropriate authority or database.

• Share: Tell the story, not just of the object, but of the act.

• Release: Let go of possession. Embrace custodianship.

This ritual transforms detection from hobby to heritage. It invites the finder into a lineage of care.

It transforms private discovery into communal memory. Failure to report is not just a missed opportunity, it is a rupture in the chain of remembrance.

Artefacts as Offerings, Not Trophies
The temptation to collect, display and boast is strong. But ethical detection reframes the artefact as offering, not prize.

It is not a conquest, but a conversation.

It is not a trophy, but a trace.

It is not yours, it is ours.

Page

Page

Menu  

Front Back  Shelf

© Copyright Reserved - United Kingdom
Ideal Screen Composition 1024 x 768