Privy digging has its detractors

Many archaeologists and historians discourage hobby privy digging, and some condemn the practice outright. Here's what some of they say about it:

Untrained privy diggers are doing more to hurt history than to honor it.

"Privies contain a wealth of information about people's lifestyles and their diets and their health, and all that information gets lost when these guys go in and just churn the stuff up. It may stay better underground and preserved for future generations to study," says David Pollack, the site protection program manager for the Kentucky Heritage Council and director of the Kentucky Archaeological Survey.