Modern-Day Treasure Hunters. Who are they?
Verfasst: 13.01.2010 10:28
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Der letzte Satz stimmt mich nachdenklich. Offensichtlich verwechselt die Journalistin Archäologie mit Schatzsuche und verkennt die (sehr rauhe) Situation in Russland.MODERN-DAY TREASURE HUNTERS. WHO ARE THEY?
Sep 15, 2009 13:40 Moscow Time
By Julia Galiullina
At all times, there have been people who make treasure hunting the work of their lives. As far as modern-day treasure hunters are concerned, it can be said that they are driven not by thirst for profit, but rather by passion for adventure, by a desire to look into the past, to discover its mysteries. Nowadays, a passion for treasure hunting has far from abated. This activity attracts people of various occupations and various level of culture.
Today’s treasure hunters are actually students of local history united by a common mystery and obsessed with a single interest. This is where time and space meet. Combing forests and fields, they dig deeply into the bottomless wells of time. “Much has changed, but a passion for searching for what is concealed, for the mysterious, as well as a search for the meaning of life, stays on,” says Vyacheslav Suskov, who is a treasure hunter with five years’ experience.
“Some people are trying to find some famous hoard, for example, Napoleon’s hoard, Admiral Kolchak’s gold, etc. Others are verifying their familial legends handed down from their great grannies,” says Vyacheslav Suskov.
“At best, you may have your gasoline and metal detector costs repaid. But basically, it’s all about romanticism and adventure. Many come to treasure hunting from tourism, fishing, and hunting proper. This occupation practically combines all these avocations. Here, you’ve got the same – going somewhere, spending a night in a tent, wading into the wilderness. As for the finds, instead of fur and feather you’ve got coins, buttons, crosses,” says Vyacheslav Suskov.
Modern-day treasure hunters gather in clubs, arrange rallies, come together for joint searches, exchange experience, communicate via the Internet. Among them, many genuine professionals have emerged. They are armed not only with expertise, but are also well equipped technically. In their work, they use up-to-date metal detectors and other devices. Therefore, treasure hunting now reminds a mine-clearing operation.
In the treasure hunting community, one should distinguish between those who search for hoards for pleasure or interest, and those who desecrate burial grounds and barrows for profit, throwing the found artifacts on the “black market”.
“It means not just destruction or damage of cultural property, that is, unlawful acts envisaged by the article 243 of Russia’s Criminal Code,” Senior researcher at the Institute of the History Material culture Alexander Musin says. “It’s a murder of an object. I deliberately use such a shocking notion in order to stress what actually happens. In many cases it is more important to learn the exact whereabouts of the object and what other archaeological items it was surrounded with. It’s not just a matter of evaluating a glittering metal object that falls into the hands of even if a specialist,” says Alexander Musin.
Such “thing killers” are more often called “black pathfinders” or “diggers”.
Relationships between archaeologists and treasure hunters are not simple. In the meantime, experts have respect for those amateurs who do not seek enrichment, but are interested in the search itself. Such “white” treasure hunters do not destroy cultural layers, they do not sell the finds, and they participate in the attempts to discover the mystery of the origin of a find. Although archaeologists do not get finds from them, treasure hunters eagerly share the artifact’s photos with them. And sometimes this would quite suffice for the scientists. In the course of time, the boundaries between archaeologists and “white” treasure hunters have become almost obliterated. Treasure hunters’ spontaneity is out of the question by now. Of course, science is much more precise, but it is far less nimble. To organize an expedition or an archaeological dig, one needs a long preparatory work and substantial funding. Treasure hunters are far more mobile, their walking-tours with a metal detector are less costly, while a little bit of luck is always running in their blood. Therefore, archaeologists should consider taking them as allies.