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Front line user of the PAS
As one who has been a detectorist for the best part of 30 years I can honestly say that my interaction with the PAS has been life changing.
I'd like to explain how and why if I may, as obviously some think of me otherwise!
In 2003 Kurt Adams became my local FLO in South Gloucestershire, after the scheme was rolled out nationally that year. Since that time I have become one of the most prolific recorders in my area with the scheme. This is due to the work of Kurt and the central unit that supports him in his role.
Meeting Kurt in October 2003, I did not realise what an impact the PAS would have on my life. Through their education, outreach and inclusion through public archaeology I have been amazed at just how much they're involved with and just how far they reach. Kurt had been a fantastic ambassador for the scheme which has been clearly led by the central unit under Dr Roger Bland. Equally the same can be said of the many other FLO's based throughout England and Wales, some of whom I've had the pleasure of meeting.
I have worked with the PAS in quite a number of areas from lectures to university students (Bristol & Gloucester Universities), to speaking to historical groups, to identifying and recording finds at a rally with Kurt. All this is down to their invite and encouragement. The last lecture was with Dr Naomi Payne and Dr Roger Bland himself at Bristol University. Roger spoke on the PAS central issues, Naomi spoke about being an FLO and I spoke about being an end user of the scheme as well as showing some finds that were going to be recorded through the scheme. The whole thing dovetailed beautifully and everyone could see the value of the PAS quite clearly.
The real life changing experience has come through the reference Kurt wrote for me that went a long way toward me becoming an undergraduate student at Bristol on a course run by Dr Paula Gardiner. I've had tremendous encouragement from Professor Mark Horton, Dr Stuart Prior and Paul Tubb, my current tutor. All can see the value of what I do and how I achieve what I do through the PAS. So I can quite comfortably be an archaeologist and use a metal detector and not feel the need to be apologetic with either.
The PAS to me is not just a fabulous academic work in progress, but also a public interface that reaches many groups with many interests. Yes' of course metal detectorist use it the most, that's because they find the most, but I know field walkers, gardeners, builders and amateur archaeological groups use it too! The amount of work coming out of this scheme is tremendous, be that late Roman coin scatters (Sam Moorhead) to late Iron Age/Romano-British rings (Adam Daubney, TOT Rings, 2007).
Having seen what the scheme means to me you can certainly take it as read that many thousands feel the same as they regularly use it too. I have always said that the PAS will be a scheme for the long haul, members of the public are using the scheme more and more each year as the PAS's own figures show. Every area of the scheme that is monitored by the central unit is seeing growth, so why now want to change this? It seems a British disease to want to change the shape of the wheel every now and again, only to find that we had it right in the first place.
I have a passion for what the PAS is, but the last thing it needs now is change, in fact that will be disastrous for it. I am a front line user of the PAS and am bemused that Mr. Clare is obviously taking advice from a vociferous group of anti-PAS supporters playing silly playground games with a national treasure, a couple of whom don't even live or pay tax in this country!
The PAS is achieving what it set out to do, why oh why dismantle it now!
I urge anyone who reads this to support the petition and save both the central Unit and have the PAS brought in under the British Museums Wing as now the MLA has surely pitted itself against the scheme through its very obvious public actions!
As a last point I would like to remind everyone who remembers what it was like pre 1997 when the PAS began. I sincerely hope that none of us would want to return to those times, but I fear that is exactly where we're heading if what the MLA has planned happens. The PAS will not survive in the Renaissance regions, like so many other projects money will become an issue somewhere down the line and jobs will go as they already are. If we remove the head from the PAS the body will die, if that happens then there are many that believe that detecting will be banned. All that will do is create a monster that none of us surely wants!
Peter Twinn, Archaeologist & Detectorist and front line user of the PAS.
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Navigate for more: Portable Antiquities Scheme: Briefing UK based Metal Detecting Clubs