In a story a wee bit closer to home…I believe that the Western Australian Museum is with me when I say “BLAST YOU MARITIME SCAVENGERS!” Documented artefacts have been disturbed and stolen from maritime historical sites in Fremantle, Western Australia.
Museum acting chief executive Diana Jones said Long Jetty was declared an historic site in 1988 and was protected under the WA Maritime Archaeology Act 1973.“Long Jetty was recognised as a site of historical significance after the museum’s maritime archaeologists surveyed the area and found a wealth of objects dating as far back as the 1840s,” Ms Jones said.Thousands of bottles and jars, cutlery, lumps of coal, sheep bones and other items were surveyed and documented. Among the personal belongings recovered were watches, toys, shoes, costume jewellery and coins.
Essentially I’m reporting this for two reasons:
1) To promote awareness of the site and the need to protect the local history it represents
2) Provide me with an excuse to say “blast you maritime scavengers” and rant on about bottle collectors.
Bottle collectors essentially go around and dig up archaeological sites to find different types of glass bottles. Fair enough, we all need a hobby...however, from an archaeological perspective, can i just say:
Museum acting chief executive Diana Jones said Long Jetty was declared an historic site in 1988 and was protected under the WA Maritime Archaeology Act 1973.“Long Jetty was recognised as a site of historical significance after the museum’s maritime archaeologists surveyed the area and found a wealth of objects dating as far back as the 1840s,” Ms Jones said.Thousands of bottles and jars, cutlery, lumps of coal, sheep bones and other items were surveyed and documented. Among the personal belongings recovered were watches, toys, shoes, costume jewellery and coins.
Essentially I’m reporting this for two reasons:
1) To promote awareness of the site and the need to protect the local history it represents
2) Provide me with an excuse to say “blast you maritime scavengers” and rant on about bottle collectors.
Bottle collectors essentially go around and dig up archaeological sites to find different types of glass bottles. Fair enough, we all need a hobby...however, from an archaeological perspective, can i just say:
PICK ANOTHER FREAKEN HOBBY! LEAVE THE BOTTLES ALONE!!!
I don’t care how valuable the bottles are, they are a part of the archaeological record and as such reveal a heap of information about past human cultures and activity. AND we can date sites by using bottles, that’s pretty cool right?!
Now I’m hoping you, lovely readers, will all be able to connect the dots and understand what I mean when I say it’s extremely irritating and infuriating when you find that bottle collectors have been active at your site!
They’re basically taking away potential information you can gather from the site! GRRRRRRRR!
Please excuse me while I count backwards from 100.
Please excuse me while I count backwards from 100.
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,27574,24615274-2761,00.html
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