Yes it does, thank you. With all the recent talk of "pot hunters" and "diggers," having additional information is enormously helpful, especially since you folks are obviously on the level and legitimate. The reason I was skeptical was because my husband collects buttons, and he knows several "diggers" personally, who go on private property (supposedly with permission) to dig, and search. Many of these people do this as a hobby and for profit. We are sure there are people in this business who have little or no regard for the historical context in which the items are actually dug up. We have come up against fakes and questionable material. I admire organizations that proceed with care and regard for the historical background of archeological finds. Arlyn Danielson ---------- From: Aqualieb[SMTP:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 1997 10:33 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Ethical Question Arlyn, To answer your questions: Yes, an avocational group. We are a 501c3, non-profit historical and archaeological org dedicated to the preservation of New Jersey shipwreck history. The site is that of an early nineteenth century sailer in 30 feet sea water. We began investigating the site 3 years before a contract archaeological firm investigated it in preparation for a beach fill project. Our report to the community at large aided and guided the contractors investigation. Our report's conclusions were upheld by this same firm. The items were retrieved by hand from a shipping barrel; the barrel's location was mapped. I hope this aids you in forming an opinion, Aqualieb