Metal Detecting and Archaeology in Finland: An Overview of the Hobby and its Consequences
Abstract
Metal detecting seems to affect Finnish archaeology in many ways at present and gives rise to new issues. Every year, ordinary people locate plenty of finds and find spots with their metal detectors and report them to archaeologists. This results in new knowledge of the past, and sometimes the detector find may be of great significance. However, there are also discoveries that people never report. Furthermore, metal detector users sometimes damage archaeological sites and monuments protected under law. This causes the loss of important information about archaeological sites and finds. In general, metal detecting as a hobby has increased significantly during the 2010s in Finland. I am therefore compiling an overview of the hobby using data available from an online survey and other statistics of the National Board of Antiquities. In addition, I aim to figure out the impacts of the hobby especially from the viewpoint of archaeology and archaeologists. As one conclusion, I present that interaction and cooperation between archaeologists and detectorists seems to lead the way to more responsible metal detecting and a greater understanding concerning archaeological heritage.
