tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3279887958085077691.post531947069422631125..comments2024-02-22T10:35:12.485-08:00Comments on Cultural Property Observer: Better Late Than NeverCultural Property Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05924359202414555962noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3279887958085077691.post-83590417477375446432009-02-07T07:37:00.000-08:002009-02-07T07:37:00.000-08:00Peter;Our friend Rick Witschonke is right, "Better...Peter;<BR/><BR/>Our friend Rick Witschonke is right, "Better late than never." That view is trumped, however, by "Sooner rather than later." No serious commentator would argue against the well demonstrated fact that collectors are in some ways better stewards of the past than institutions. After all, Rick is himself a collector of ancient coins who (as such) has published history altering information about the Roman Imperatorial age. A well-worn platitude does not excuse academia's shortcomings (even if they are legitimate). Actually, the fact that the specific research in question was "finally" brought to light by a volunteer at a private archive and research institute supports the contention that stewardship is not the purview of academia alone.Wayne G. Sayleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02443529723963083983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3279887958085077691.post-21211545325354912852009-02-06T21:54:00.000-08:002009-02-06T21:54:00.000-08:00Peter, this blog is great!Peter, this blog is great!Bill Donovanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09784106148142157239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3279887958085077691.post-86790106828499250072009-02-06T18:37:00.000-08:002009-02-06T18:37:00.000-08:00There was controversy a few months ago when some m...There was controversy a few months ago when some metal detectorists dug a hole in twilight and pulled out a huge hoard of coins. Although the coins were properly registered with the PAS some pundits were angry that a professional excavation wasn't done first. (Before archaeologists dig they create a grid. Every object's location within the grid is recorded. The detectorists didn't set up the grid and now we'll never know the X,Y,Z coordinates of individual coins.)<BR/><BR/>The outrage from the archaeological commentators led me to believe that it is now standard practice to leave the X,Y,Z coordinates of individual coins to posterity by publishing them. I asked Nathan Elkins if this truly happenes in practice -- what percent of coin coordinates really get published. I also asked how fine a grid is used.<BR/><BR/>Not only do coins not always get published when they are published the X,Y,Z coordinates are not there. (They might be in the archaeologist's logbook, but that doesn't get professionally archived.)<BR/><BR/>I work in computers. When businesses tell me they have lost important data because they didn't back it up I do not feel sorry for them. In 2009 everyone knows that if something is valuable it must be copied to an off-site backup.<BR/><BR/>No amount of outrage at the loss of X,Y,Z coordinate data from amateur diggers should distract us from the obvious. If there isn't an off-site backup of the X,Y,Z coordinates of every object then that information is not considered valuable by the archaeological community.<BR/><BR/>We are very lucky that an off-site backup (at the ANS) preserved the record of this important hoard allowing it to finally be published.Ed Sniblehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17346392312959087285noreply@blogger.com