What is Relic Digging and Why We do it!

[Datrus]

Thank you for the kind words my friend

Regards, Lars

[Wiking]

Very interesting work you do! It´s very nice to see that you do it in a professional way, and that we can enjoy the items through your pictures! Just thinking, when human remains are found, does for example Germany arrange for the german remains to be transported home or how does it work? Just curious cause there must be hundreds of thousands MIA´s on the eastern battlefields, if i had relatives there i would appreciate if a serious and respectful team brought up the remains and gently collected the personal belongings, but what do the goverments in the country that the fallen belongs to do, do they act responsible? Im asking because i live in Sweden, and my country does not act responsible on modern disasters even, i do like to think other countries acts better.

[Datrus]

The German government does not a whole lot but "Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgrabeversorge" do accept MIA's. They sometimes demand the remains have dog tags to get them home to Germany. This is of course not always possible. Many times it's very clear that it's Germans or Russians because you will find different things telling from which side a MIA came from. Buttons, equipment, boot remains etc. Many unknown German soldiers have been buried here in Russia at special cemeteries. I hope this answered your question

Regards, Lars

[Gunny Hartmann]

It's a real shame you feel the need to justify you hobby to ignorant idiots, you have a great reputation on this website and long may you dig!...

[Wiking]

Thats a shame though, all creds to you that do what you do and to all groups/organisations that engage to give the fallen a burial ceremony!

[Datrus]

I understand what you say Gunny, but some do not understand or see the whole picture. That's why i made this thread. Hopefully it will clear things up a bit Thank you for the kind words mate

There are good and bad guys doing this. It's horrible to see what some people do. Last summer we found quite a lot of USSR soldier remains, just spread out along side the trench some guys had dug. Bones, boots etc. We could see they were Russians from the boots

Regards, Lars

[Datrus]

Thats a shame though, all creds to you that do what you do and to all groups/organisations that engage to give the fallen a burial ceremony!

Mange tak min ven Er Dansk men bor nu i Rusland

Mvh

Lars

[Paul D]

It's a real shame you feel the need to justify you hobby to ignorant idiots, you have a great reputation on this website and long may you dig!...

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.

[guns ltd]

Very well said Lars and Steve.
I respect and praise you both on your Endeavors and hard work. Maybe someday I can come and help you guys. Most people don't understand what Battlefield Archeology is all about. It is not just finding relics. It is about returning the fallen home also and preserving history.
With the greatest respect.
John

[Datrus]

I agree that it's not about relic hunting, but it's far from every time we go we find MIA's. So we of course encounter a lot of different items. Some we of course sell and some we keep. It's the selling part that some people do not understand, but it costs money to go there and as Paul have also stated, we go places you will never find an Archaeologist This is why we also arrange for interested to come along. Giving them an experience of the Eastern Front and to be co sponsors of the trips. We actually pay our own hard earned money to go there There should be better sponsorship for people like us!

Regards, Lars