e_conservationline forum

Posting this in behalf of Melissa McCoy, law student at Northern Kentucky University, currently looking into topics for a research paper:

I was wondering if you could direct me to any information about "citizen archeology" (it is a controversial practice that has been suggested in order to protect cultural property from looting as there are more sites to preserve than professional archeologists have time to uncover).  If you are familiar with anything about this practice I would greatly appreciate any information I can get.

Thank you in advance!

I've never heard of this, but it sounds interesting.

Something of related interest would probably be the UK's Portable Antiquities Scheme:

From their website:

"The Portable Antiquities Scheme is a voluntary scheme to record archaeological objects found by members of the public in England and Wales. Every year many thousands of objects are discovered, many of these by metal-detector users, but also by people whilst out walking, gardening or going about their daily work. Such discoveries offer an important source for understanding our past."

http://www.finds.org.uk/