The Metal Detecting Community vs Academia and Archaeologists
They Call Us Looters, Pilferers, and Thieves
If it is true that Christopher Columbus was the first to set foot on the shores of America, then why is it that Roman Coins that date to the 4th century BCE, were found along the Hudson River banks in NYS, and a Norse sword, from the 10th century, was found on the shores of the St. Lawrence Seaway?
In addition to the above finds, there are Egyptian hieroglyphs carved into the stone walls deep inside the Grand Canyon. Egyptian pottery has been found in various areas of America. I visited one such place where Egyptian pottery was located. And yet, our young in schools across America are still being taught that Christopher Columbus found America in 1492.
The above questions are never answered by the experts in the halls of Academia. Is it because admitting the truth is too much for their egos to handle? It is difficult for most humans to admit they are wrong. But it is most difficult to acknowledge incorrect information from a person that has been labeled an expert. Unfortunately, for the educational health of our students, some of those specialists believe they are immune to making mistakes. The field of archaeology and those archaeologists that are professors of history is overloaded with such individuals. Many of them despise the amateur historian that finds evidence that proves their expertise has been shattered.
Archaeologists have ridiculed the hobby of metal detecting for years. We find artifacts that predate what history has been teaching and the archaeologist experts in turn call us looters, pilferers, and thieves. Although a few hobbyists have overstepped the rules as to where it is legal to search with a metal detector and where to dig an artifact, the majority of us are honest and aware of those laws. However, especially for many complaining archaeologists, it makes no difference if we do not break the laws, because they believe they have a God-given right to everything old that lay beneath the ground. And when they cannot find what we in the hobby of metal detecting are finding, they become unhinged.
When I was filming my metal-detecting TV series a few years ago, I was subjected to hate and name-calling by archaeologists that believed we were stealing artifacts that we found on private property. The archaeologists lied, and even went public with their grimy untruths. But in the end, I proved they lied. Their concern was the fact that we were showing viewers how to metal detect and what relics they could find. It drove the archaeologists crazy. Oh, the shame of it.
After that fiasco, I received an email from a very prominent professor of archaeology at a distinguished college. He told me, to “continue to do what you are doing because the majority of my colleagues have egos the size of Texas. And they are jealous because you can dig for artifacts when most of them cannot. Instead, many of my peers are stuck in classrooms teaching. This is because universities do not have the funds that allow their archeologists to go on a dig.”
I sometimes laugh at the name-calling used by archaeologists against the hobbyists, when in fact, I know of many cases where it was an archeologist that was busted for stealing artifacts from dig sites and selling them on the black market. Or they stole ancient relics and hoarded them for their personal collections.
Yes, there is a chasm that runs deep between the so-called experts of history and the metal-detecting/treasure-hunting community. But it is becoming painfully aware to those savants, that the common metal detectorist is becoming just as efficient as they, in discovering and telling history.
My metal detecting/treasure hunting TV series, “Exploring History’s Treasures” EHT, was the first REAL, reality, show of its kind. There was no scripting, no planting or salting the ground with finds before we dug them. Exploring History’s Treasures can now be viewed here.
“Are you kidding me? I’ve been waiting a lifetime for a great metal detecting TV series. And now I have the DVD. Frank and John are the perfect pair for this series.
Carmen L.
Phoenix NY
“Exploring History’s Treasures, you have a Great show can’t wait for more.”
Jay Logan, Warners NY
Hi Frank,
We watched your video and we really enjoyed it. And yes we would like to see your TV series on TV. And one more question do you sell shirts like the one you wear in episode 4 Exploring History. Thank you and let us know.
Thank you, Ray and Dawn, Ohio