
UK metal detector enthusiast finds ancient Roman bronze artefacts - curtis
http://www.breakingnews.ie/world/uk-metal-detector-enthusiast-finds-ancient-roman-bronze-artefacts-807584.html
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empath75
I don’t really understand why archeologists always assume every single statue
from the ancient world is religious in nature. Why can’t people just buy a
cute dog Knick-nack for their kitchen shelf?

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Isamu
I don't disagree with you, but in this case they are identifying the type of
statue:

> The licking dog is an example of a healing statue, and may be linked to a
> Roman healing temple at Lydney.

I have not heard of a "healing statue", so a bit of searching found this in
Wikipedia:

> Some healing temples also used sacred dogs to lick the wounds of sick
> petitioners.

So it is an interpretation of the statue - not a bad interpretation, but some
explanation would be nice.

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sjcsjc
To be nitpicky, (and slightly tongue in cheek), would "treasure hunter" not be
a more appropriate term than "metal detector enthusiast"? I assume if there
were a better tool for finding buried treasure, they'd happily ditch their
metal detectors.

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tpeo
I think "treasure hunter" is more likely to conjure the image of someone who'd
pawn off an artifact to someone else. Like the people who busted into Egyptian
tombs over the centuries.

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tpeo
Archeologists hate him!

No really, they probably do. Archeologists have a love-hate relationship with
laymen who hit upon artifacts. On one hand, a find is a find, and local
communities can often point out likely archeological sites. On the other,
these people might not handle artifacts properly, or fail to take notice of
their context to the degree an archeologist might want, like taking notice of
the depth at which it was.

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fredley
_Detectorists_ , a BBC show, is a wonderful (drama) show that explores this
subculture. Every time a story like this comes up, I can't help but recall the
characters' responses when they (spoilers) discover priceless ancient
artifacts!

