What is Relic Digging and Why We do it!

[Gunny Hartmann]

As Lars has said this is a subject that can be very emotive to those who have no understanding as to why /how it is done and under whose authority the excavation is carried out and it can be somewhat frustrating having to explain things again and again but that doesn't make anyone who doesn't understand or questions things an " ignorant idiot " !!

Illegal Black diggers do exist with no care for history , Archaeology and the legitimate recovery and care of any remains of the fallen and that is why our policy here is to out them and then report them if necessary !!

Many folks knowledge is based on some of the recent poorly researched press articles in the UK or other countries so it is understandable that folk will question what they see here on this forum , the aim of threads like this is to hopefully educate people before we have to once again give an explanation regarding legitimate Battlefield excavation in particular in the east the circumstances and authority are different to those in western Europe and the mainstream of Arcaeology.

Very true, i was a little harsh there, i just meant people who tar all diggers with the same brush!..

[Paul D]

Lars makes a good point which is worth reiterating , the guys involved in legitimate Battlefield Archaeology on behalf of the German and Russian War Graves receive nor expect to recieve any financial remuneration , in fact all expenses , transport , equipment , hotels , flights , food etc etc are all paid from our own pockets , we do this as a result of a love of History / Archaeology and respect for the fallen and quite often in the most diffficult of conditions and locations , basically you have to be very dedicated to be involved in this , that's it in a nutshell !

[Datrus]

Especially the last line in your post is VERY true Paul

On another note. Many people think the winter was bad on the soldiers, which it of course was, but try and spend only 4 days in midsummer in the fields and forests around Demjansk and many other places. I will say the soldiers only had a rest from the elements and insect in early spring and autumn. But wait, in autumn and spring there is mud everywhere...

Regards, Lars

[Jan]

As a professional archaeologist I think this thread is of ultimate importance in bringing metal detectorists and professional archaeologists together and sharing the same responsibility for our common past! Welcome and visit my blog at Jan Fast Archaeology

Cheers Jan

[Gunny Hartmann]

As a professional archaeologist I think this thread is of ultimate importance in bringing metal detectorists and professional archaeologists together and sharing the same responsibility for our common past! Welcome and visit my blog at Jan Fast Archaeology

Cheers Jan

Interesting blog!...

[herrzark]

Relic digging is very importand.you make great work.Like archeologist.

[Datrus]

As a professional archaeologist I think this thread is of ultimate importance in bringing metal detectorists and professional archaeologists together and sharing the same responsibility for our common past! Welcome and visit my blog at Jan Fast Archaeology

Cheers Jan

A very interesting standpoint Jan. I will check out your blog

Regards, Lars

[Jan]

A very interesting standpoint Jan. I will check out your blog

Regards, Lars

Thanks Datrus,

I just watched the vid on YOUTUBE (w. Swedish friends) The situation in Russia is of course very different from that of Europe in that the debris of the industrial scale of warfare is found in abundance as can be seen in your vid. The vid actually made me "go back in time" to my childhood in the late 1960´s when battlefield sites looked exactly like that in Hanko (Southern Finland). Us kids strolled around in the debris of war (threw unfired rifle rounds into the fire for the BANG effect and collected bits and pieces of more valuable items such as rusty red stars, helmets, shells and cartridges and even the occasional gunbarrels. In 2013 the battlefeld places of my childhood are "cleaned up" built over and forgotten of..

Cheers Jan

[MetalCrue1]

Since i live in Sweden where we dont have any battlefields (exept in the far north between the norwegian russian and finnish border) i wonder if there is anywhere where you can buy or trade earthfinds? it happens to come up some small stuff on diffrent auction sites sometimes i know but not much.
And i do believe that most of everyone want too keep all their finds.
But im still asking if there is any site here around that has earthfinds for sale

Thanks!

[Scout]

Plenty of ground dug relics in the sales section here now and then.

Also on the bay.

I recommend this forum though.

A word to the wise in regards to the bay; buy the seller not the story.
(well, that pretty much goes for any sale, any where - just another reason, that I recommend this forum).