A single piece of pottery is not likely to be considered significant, however, different landowners both public and private may have different views about whether or not you can keep what you find. For instance, TVA, the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, being federal agencies have very strong protection rules about artifacts on their lands because they are protected under the Archaeological Resources Protection Act. You should not collect on state lands as items found on state lands belong to all Alabamians. Private sector companies or private landowners will have varying opinions about collecting on their property. If you plan to go hunting, fishing or collecting plants on someone’s private land, you should ask the landowner for permission. The same holds true when you plan to collect artifacts along their beaches, river banks, creeks, or streams.