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Some see them as modern-day treasure hunters, while others see them as looters. Metal detectorists spark interest and controversy with the ancient objects they sometimes unearth when out scouring the land. The National Museum of Denmark is now shining light on amateur detectorists and their finds in a new exhibition.
Some see them as modern-day treasure hunters, while others see them as looters. Metal detectorists spark interest and controversy with the ancient objects they sometimes unearth when out scouring the land. The National Museum of Denmark is now shining light on amateur detectorists and their finds in a new exhibition.
Many countries prohibit individuals from using metal detectors to try to unearth ancient artifacts. Denmark is an exception. Every year, thousands of Danes legally engage in recreational detecting. However, they are obliged to hand over their archaeological finds to any museum in the Nordic country in exchange for financial compensation. These ancient objects are then entrusted to the National Museum of Denmark, in Copenhagen.
Some of these artifacts have been on public display since February 4 as part of "The Hunt for the Denmark's past." This exhibition highlights the finds of amateur archaeologists and detectorists like Ole Ginnerup Schytz. In 2021, the latter found a gold treasure dating from the Iron Age (between 1200 and 800 BC, depending on the region) in a field near the town of Jelling. "Suddenly after half an hour there is a very clear signal from the metal detector. I dig and out of the ground rises a yellow thing caked in mud. In a clump of earth in my hand there is a Roman emperor who is looking straight into my face and then I continue metal detecting. After half an hour I have got several pieces of gold," explains Ole Ginnerup Schytz in a statement.
As coincidental as it may be, this discovery is considered one of the most important in the history of the Nordic country. It attests to the essential role played by detectorists in archaeology, according to Rane Willerslev, director of the National Museum of Denmark. "It is ordinary people who have handed in some of the most significant objects we have at the National Museum. In this way ordinary people over the centuries have created this museum together with the archaeologists, historians and other museum employees," he said.
One of those employees is Line Bjerg, a curator in charge of analyzing the thousands of ancient objects unearthed by Danes with metal detectors. She believes that it is important that this hobby continues to exist to prevent parts of Danish history from disappearing due to urbanization and commercial agriculture. "The knowledge we get based on the new finds challenges the perception of how our country was born and they add a lot of facets to the sparkling diamond that is our history," she explains. All of which will no doubt help boost sales of metal detectors in the country.
See "The Hunt for the Denmark's past" at the National Museum of Denmark.
