We are working on a sketch to prevent illegal digging and artefact theft. For our sketch, we had drones, underground sensors, mobile moving cameras, and radar. What would you recommend? Jaydah (6th grade)

Dear Jaydah,

Although it is a lovely idea and, unfortunately, illegal digging of artefact does happen (and especially what we call “night hawking”, when metal detectorists go onto archaeological sites at night and dig in order to steal the metal finds), there are about 21,000 archaeological excavations (roughly) taking place in the UK every year. And that’s just for commercial projects, which means I did not include research projects and university-led projects. As you can see, the sheer number of excavations would make it very difficult for every site to be equipped with drones, sensors, cameras etc: it would be not only impossible but also not cost-effective.

In order for your project to be able to work, some sites would have to be selected so they could be covered by all these wonderful machines but that means some other sites would still be left at risk of being plundered.

Maybe the solution would reside in education rather than technology? What if we taught people to respect their heritage, and what if we explained to them that by plundering archaeological sites they are in fact destroying their own history, their own past? Personally, I think teaching people is always a good starting point. Yes, technology can help, up to a point. But making sure people understand the damage they are causing will always be the best way to fight theft and illegal digging.

I hope this topic has inspired you to learn more about archaeology, and good luck with your project!

Odile, January 2026