Abstract
Archaeological workers in North America are often envious of the supports, initiatives and legislation that other regions have enacted to engage with the detecting community. It seems many cultural heritage laws used to protect sites elsewhere are just not viable, cannot be enforced or are seen as not applicable in the Americas. This leaves North American archaeologists attempting to alter or create new initiatives at a distinct disadvantage. This paper explores municipal by-law creation in two communities in Ontario, Canada, and their complex relationships with metal detecting communities striving to have access to the past through their search for archaeological objects. It reflects on public engagement and the perceptions of power in these two contexts and how Canadian archaeologists manage their authoritative positions. Finally, it considers the power dynamics that prevent metal detectorists from engaging with archaeologists and municipalities, and the concerns that archaeologists have over engaging with the public.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Banning, E. B. (2019). The archaeological impacts of metal detecting. Open Archaeology,5, 180–186. https://doi.org/10.1515/opar-2019-0013.
Barford, P. (2018). The complexities of metal detecting policy and practice (4): Summing up the contribution of the Ixelles six. Portable Antiq. Collect. Herit. Issues. Retrieved 5 Aug, 2019, from https://paul-barford.blogspot.com/2018/07/the-complexities-of-metal-detecting38.html.
Barford, P. (2015). Focus on metal detecting: problem of focus and comprehension. Portable Antiq. Collect. Herit. Issues. Retrieved 3 Aug, 2019, from https://paul-barford.blogspot.com/2015/02/focus-on-metal-detecting-problem-of.html.
Battagello, D. (2018). History dating back 10,000 years found in Olde Sandwich dig. Windsor Star. Retrieved 14 Sep, 2019, from https://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/walpole-island-history-dating-back-10000-years-found-in-sandwich-dig.
Beaulieu, K. (2016). Honesty is the best policy: How archaeologists are perceived on treasure hunting forums. Kyoto, Japan: Presented at the World Archaeological Congress.
Bland, R. (2009). The United Kingdom as a source country: Some problems in regulating the market in UK antiquities and the challenge of the internet. In S. Mackenzie & P. Green (Eds.), Criminology and archaeology: Studies in looted antiquities (pp. 83–102). Oxford: Oñati International Series in Law and Society.
Bland, R. (2005). A Pragmatic approach to the problem of portable antiquities: The experience of England and Wales. Antiquity,79, 440–447.
Carman, J. (2015). Archaeological resource management: an international perspective. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Caton, M. (2018). Metal detecting club fears end to digging in Windsor Parks. Windsor Star. Retrieved 20 Dec, 2019, from https://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/metal-detecting-club-fears-end-to-digging-in-windsor-parks.
Deckers, P., Lewis, M., & Thomas, S. (2016). Between two places: Archaeology and metal-detecting in Europe. Open Archaeology,2, 426–429. https://doi.org/10.1515/opar-2016-0031.
DeVries, M. (2014). Cultural resource management and Aboriginal engagement: Policy and practice in Ontario archaeology. London: The University of Western Ontario.
Ferris, N. (2003). Between colonial and Indigenous archaeologies: Legal and extra-legal ownership of the archaeological past in North America. Canadian Journal of Archaeology,27, 154–178.
Ferris, N. (2002). Where the air thins: The rapid rise of the archaeological consultation industry in Ontario. Journal of American Archaeology,21, 53–88.
Fidler, S. (2003). A black art: How the trade in stolen artifacts aids money laundering, organized crime, and terrorism. Financial Times, 24.
Ganciu, I. (2018). Heritage for sale! The role of museums in promoting metal detecting and looting in Romania. Heritage,1, 437–452. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage1020029.
González-Ruibal, A., González, A., & Crido-Boado, F. (2018). Against reactionary populism: Towards a new public archaeology. Antiquity,92, 507–515.
Hardy, S. A. (2017). Quantitative analysis of open-source data on metal detecting for cultural property: Estimation of the scale and intensity of metal detecting and the quantity of metal-detected cultural goods. Cogent Social Science,3, 1–49. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2017.1298397.
Heritage Action. (n.d.). Heritage action artefact erosion counter. Herit. Action. Retrieved 8 Nov, 2019, from https://www.heritageaction.org.uk/erosioncounter/.
Huth, C. (2013). Vom rechten umgang mit sondengängern: Dad “Portable Antiquities Scheme” in England und Wales und seine folgen. Archäologische Informationen,36, 129–137.
Ipsos, (2018). American perceptions of archaeology. Washington: Society for American Archaeology.
Karl, R. (2019). An empirical examination of archaeological damage caused by unprofessional extraction of archaeology ex situ (‘looting’). A case study from Austria. Archäologische Denkmalpflege,2, 1–34.
Karl, R., Vonkilch, A., Birgit, B., Frana, Z., Gufler, V., Hörhan, J., Medek, A., Rechberger, T., Rokita, K., Trausmuth, T., Unterweger, S., & Wallner, M. (2014). Archäologische Interessen der österreichischen Bevölkerung. Bericht und Analyse einer Umfrage, November 2013—Jänner 2014. Bangor Studies in Archaeology, Report No. 8. Bangor: Bangor University School of History, Welsh History and Archaeology2014 8, Bangor Studies in Archaeology Bangor University School of History Welsh History and Archaeology, Bangor.
Lexxone1. (2018). brampton Ontario laws. February 14. Retrieved 2 July, 2019, from https://www.treasurenet.com/forums/canada/569022-brampton-ontario-laws.html.
Ministry of Tourism and Culture. (2011). Standards and guidelines for consulting archaeologists. Retrieved 22 Sep, 2019, from https://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/archaeology/archaeology_s_g.shtml.
Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. (2019). Archaeological licensing. Retrieved 14 July, 2019, from https://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/archaeology/archaeology_licensing.shtml.
NEARCH Project, E.C. (2017). Europeans & Archaeology. A survey on the European perception of archaeology and archaeological heritage. https://doi.org/10.5284/1043770.
Pesta, A. (2019). For metal “detectorists”, the real find is a place to sweep in peace: Hobbyists barred from public places get creative; device disguised as a cane. Wall Street Journal, July 31. Retrieved 1 Nov, 2019, from https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324809004578636251352859278.
Shepperson, M. (2017). The tense truce between detectorists and archaeologists. The Guardian, December 18. Retrieved 18 Aug, 2019, from https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324809004578636251352859278.
Smith, L. (2006). Uses of heritage. London: Routledge.
Teasdale, G. (2012). Old friends and new foes: French settlers and indians in the Detroit river border region. Michigan Historical Review,38, 35–62.
Thomas, S. (2012). How STOP started: Early approaches to the metal detecting community by archaeolgoists and others. In Community archaeology themes, methods and practices (pp. 42–57). Oxford: Oxbow Books.
Thompson, A. (2019). Looters likely scouring sunken treasures off Nova Scotia, Experts Warn. The Canadian Press, April 9. Retrieved 10 June, 2019, from https://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/looters-likely-scouring-sunken-treasures-off-nova-scotia-experts-warn-1.4371713.
Tom_in_CA. (2013). Laws pertaining to metal detecting use (criminal code of Canada). June 9. Retrieved 23 July, 2019, from https://www.treasurenet.com/forums/relic-hunting/78819-laws-pertaining-metal-detecting-use-criminal-code-canada.html.
Acknowledgements
The author acknowledges that the research done is on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Attawandaron (Neutral), and Wendat peoples. This territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties. I would like to thank Caldwell First Nation, especially Shelley Birch and Nikki van Oirschot, for their willingness to discuss the topic and engage in a meaningful way both during and after the meeting; their vision of the future helped shape this paper. Also, the Ontario Archaeology Society (Windsor Chapter) and Amanda Black for their engagement in this process and the flexibility to find compromises—it is always better to have allies than enemies. To Ian from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport for further clarifying the position of the MTCS and discussing how terminology is interpreted at the provincial level. The author recognizes the efforts of the Sunparlour Treasure Seekers and the Thames Valley Detecting Association, and in particular Jack, Gord, Ervin and Erin for speaking candidly about concerns and challenges they have faced and asking to be heard. A heartfelt thank you to Dr. George Sheppard of Laurentian University, Dr. E. Banning from the University of Toronto, and the anonymous peer reviewer for their time and comments.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Beaulieu, K. “Raging Against the Machine: Archaeology, Metal Detection and Municipal Legislation in Ontario, Canada”. Arch 16, 120–136 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11759-020-09392-w
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11759-020-09392-w