“Raging Against the Machine: Archaeology, Metal Detection and Municipal Legislation in Ontario, Canada”

Abstract

Archaeological workers in North America are often envious of the supports, initiatives and legislation that other regions have enacted to engage with the detecting community. It seems many cultural heritage laws used to protect sites elsewhere are just not viable, cannot be enforced or are seen as not applicable in the Americas. This leaves North American archaeologists attempting to alter or create new initiatives at a distinct disadvantage. This paper explores municipal by-law creation in two communities in Ontario, Canada, and their complex relationships with metal detecting communities striving to have access to the past through their search for archaeological objects. It reflects on public engagement and the perceptions of power in these two contexts and how Canadian archaeologists manage their authoritative positions. Finally, it considers the power dynamics that prevent metal detectorists from engaging with archaeologists and municipalities, and the concerns that archaeologists have over engaging with the public.