The acquisition by the British Museum of a thumbnail-sized chunk of battered inscribed gold - a very rare runic inscription, probably hacked up by Vikings centuries after it was made - marks a historic truce between archaeologists and metal detectors after decades of skirmishing.
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Now, after months of negotiation, the two sides are set to announce a code of conduct. The code, which will be launched at the British Museum today, has been agreed by all the main metal detector clubs, landowners, archaeologists, museums, archaeological societies and English Heritage. "This is the end of the war between the archaeologists and the detectorists," said Roger Bland, an archaeologist seconded by the British Museum to head the Portable Antiquities scheme, which encourages voluntary reporting of finds.
They quote a professional archaeologist who is less enthusiastic. There have been a couple of stories on this issue in the British press (posted here somewhere) on the idea of cooperation of this type. This apparently only applies to metal detectorists, but the BM doesn't seem to have any announcement or the actual agreement up on its web site yet.