Fancy digging up a Saxon hoard or Viking treasure? Here are a few hints and tips to get started
You’ll need a detector: a good entry-level type costs £200-300. You’ll also need a small handheld wand called a ‘pinpointer’ to help you track down the find once you’ve dug your hole.
Permission’s required from the landowner, so why not start by going to a group dig organised by a local metal detecting club? Check their guidelines and requirements before joining.
Detectorist etiquette is to remove any scrap metal you dig up. Leave then ground as you found it – fill in holes, stamp down and replace grass plugs.
A ‘treasure’ find needs to be reported to the Coroner within 14 days – its legal definition encompasses more than you might think. For example, almost any metallic object that’s over 300 years old and more than 10% gold or silver is a treasure. An exception to this are coins, though if you find two or more, that’s treasure, too. The find will be valued and museums will get the chance to buy it for their collections. Proceeds (or eventual ownership if no-one buys it) are usually split between the finder and the landowner.
The advice above is taken from our feature ‘Found in the Ground’ by Joly Braime in our April issue, in which we meet detectorists Ellie and Lucie and get a look at some of their treasures. Their book, Things We Found In The Ground: A Metal Detecting Journey Through Britain (HarperNorth) is released on 9 April. Find Ellie and Lucie on Instagram @romanfound.
Buy this month's The Simple Things -buy, download or subscribe
