Let’s say I wanted to bring a metal detector , and I were to find items of historic value. What could I take home? Report to authorities, etc.?
Let’s say I wanted to bring a metal detector , and I were to find items of historic value. What could I take home? Report to authorities, etc.?
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Any artifacts in the ground that’s been there longer than 1711 is property of the state. You may go out to search for artifacts but you have to contact the state if you find anything. 99% of people don’t do this obviously tho. There is not much of a risk to it, they’d never find your treasure normally only if they get a warrant to search the house which is highly unlikely for this. But if they do you’ll get a few years in prison with a high fine so make sure to hide it properly.
Edit: it’s Hungary
In general, anything of value that you find that cannot be determined to be the rightful possession of a person is considered “danefæ” (dead treasure) and thus property of the state. So, that will include most things of value that you could dig up (and finding something in itself doesn’t mean it is your property). There are of course exceptions and specifications (such as based on type of object and date of origin) to this, but it would be too long to write out everything here.
If you find something that is likely danefæ, you must contact the nearest public museum and announce your find, and they will start the process of determining whether or not it is danefæ. If it is, you (unless you are working on an official dig site) are entitled to a bounty for the find. If you are found to have hidden such a find, you can be fined or, in grievous cases, get a prison sentence
I’m in Sweden.
To use a metal detector without approval from the authorities are against the law here. If you find an artifact you have to notify the authorities and let them know and you have to stop digging immediately.
Using metal detectors is illegal. Any artifact found in the ground (or anywhere else) must be declared 🤷♀️
we usually enjoy the artifacts in museums, where they belong, where they are taken care of and where researchers can analyze them. Those artifacts are part of our histories and part of our culture and it would be unfair to keep them in the private house of a dictator or an excentric rich private that has no clue what it owns 😔
I just hope the Danish police finds our artifacts soon. It is a huge pain in our collective soul.. we have so little artifacts left and that one was among the ones we loved so much.. 😔
Artefacts over 100 years old whose ownership is not known, are considered the state’s property. You’re supposed to stop digging the second you realize the find might be historically valuable.
The reason is there are many enough history enthusiasts in Finland using metal detectors, that the Finnish Heritage Agency has a ton of ungrounded artefacts that are degrading after being dug up from virtually oxygen-free conditions, as their resources for treating them are not big enough for the sudden influx.
Searching for artifacts around historically significat areas requires permit.
Using metal detectors on beaches, camping grounds, playgrounds, in city parks is generally tolerated.