Sleeping with the Enemy? The Scientific Potential of Amateur ‘Metal Detecting Archaeology’ on the Example of the Finds Dating Back to the Roman Iron Age and the Migration Period, Discovered in 2006–2014 in the Federal State of Schleswig-Holstein
1 1 | Instytut Archeologii Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego
ul. G. Narutowicza 65
PL 90-131 Łódź |
Wiadomości Archeologiczne 2017;LXVIII(68):19–31
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Whether we like it or not the activity of amateur metal detectorists
who search the land for ancient and modern artefacts has now become
widespread in many countries, here to stay, not to be avoided.
Most professional researchers used to view this activity with suspicion.
Their attitude, rule sceptical or hostile as a rule was dictated largely
by the understanding that metal detecting impinges on the authority
of archaeological institutions. The discussion – almost invariably
quite emotionally charged – has continued over several decades, as
evidenced by a long list of relevant publications.
There is no need to emphasize in any special way that metal detectoring
is destructive when driven by material gain, obviously nothing
but commercial robbery, unstoppable for all the restrictive regulations
in force. However, at the other end of the spectrum are amateur detectorists
who, driven by a genuine fascination by their region’s past,
would be ready to cooperate with the relevant institutions. We can describe
their attitude as ‘a public-minded involvement in researching
history and archaeology’.
The potential benefits from a focused activity of amateur metal detectorists
who have been trained and work in consultation with professional
archaeologists have been demonstrated by the archaeological
record obtained in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein through
a project aimed on making amateur detectorists a part of the system
of institutionalized archaeology.
An eight-year cooperation with amateur detectorists designed to
test the value of their activities was followed by a research project
wherein Roman Period and Migration Period amateur metal detector
finds from everywhere in Schleswig-Holstein were submitted to
a scientific analysis. The finds from this research project were published
in monograph form (J. Schuster 2016).
The analyzed assemblage (828 artefacts) proved to be an important
source for the study of Late Antiquity in northern Germany and
southern Scandinavia. The tremendous potential of metal detector archaeology,
both for conservation and research, is demonstrated by the
sheer number of archaeological sites unknown previously and identified
only thanks to the metal detecting activities: 45, i.e., 62.5% of all
sites investigated using metal detectors.
Moreover, new and crucial data were obtained for sites already excavated
in the past, both as regards the number and quality of the finds
and the chronology of their use, of relevance in reconstructing the history
of settlement in the region. The Roman Period and Migration Period
finds show that long-term amateur metal detecting projects with
institutional supervision can definitely bring in valuable results. This
should be reason enough to incorporate this new branch of archaeology
into the system of regular institutionalized research and add it to
the agenda of monuments conservation offices.
As to the question posed in the title, we can say that with a proper
attitude towards amateur detectorists, by bringing their activity under
the umbrella of monuments conservation offices, by assisting their interest
in prehistory – obviously always within the law – from enemies
they could become collaborators, and even friends of the archaeologist.