Tuesday, May 4, 2010

PAS Lets Finders Record Their Own Finds

The PAS has changed its database so that registered users now can record their own finds. See http://finds.org.uk/blogs/centralunit/2010/05/04/recording/

Presumably, archaeologists who already think the PAS and Treasure Act are merely a "license to loot" will assume this system will be abused.

On the other hand, allowing finders to record their own finds will help alleviate the administrative burden on PAS personnel. In an era of lean budgets, outsourcing recordkeeping will also help the PAS to use its limited resources to the fullest.

I also suspect the personal stake one will feel in recording one's own finds may actually increase the accuracy of PAS records, and the very act of entering data may provide finders with a tangible feeling that they are indeed an important part of the larger system. That can only further the overriding goal of the PAS to encourage finders to collaborate with archaeologists in mapping the past in England and Wales. Isn't that what it all should be about anyway?

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