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Treasure hunters in Rhineland-Palatinate: cultural history in danger!
Finds by detectorists in Trier and Hildesheim raise questions about the protection of our cultural heritage. Worrying trends.
Treasure hunters in Rhineland-Palatinate: cultural history in danger!
For many amateur researchers, autumn is the best time to go treasure hunting with a metal detector. But while Sascha Theis from Bergen im Hunsrück searches for artifacts from the Roman period in a field with a permit from the state archeology, the dark side of this leisure activity also becomes apparent. Theis found a button that is believed to have come from a French soldier's uniform, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Many detectorists search illegally and in doing so leave a picture of irresponsible exploitation of our cultural heritage. According to SWR, the number of hobby detectorists in Rhineland-Palatinate has increased significantly during the Corona pandemic.
This development is not just worrying archaeologists. Timo Lang, the head of state archeology in Koblenz, reports an increase in permit requests, which often result in long waiting times due to the great interest. Many registered detectorists therefore wait patiently, while others do the opposite and work without authorization. An anonymous enthusiast criticizes official archeology and emphasizes that the desire for discovery is often greater than respect for the existing rules.
The raid of the detectorists
The number of unreported cases of illegal digging is potentially alarming. For example, a Roman cemetery near Schlierschied was looted last year, which illustrates how important monitoring archaeological sites is. Private treasure hunters are increasingly making significant discoveries, which is fueling the market for antiques but also endangering cultural heritage.
A current example is a Roman silver treasure that is around 2,000 years old and was discovered by a detectorist in the Hildesheim district. The treasure, which contains, among other things, 450 silver coins and several silver bars, was hesitantly handed over to the police after the finder hid it for years - fearing legal consequences. [n-tv].
Hope through technology
In order to promote a sense of responsibility among amateur researchers, we are working on a new app that will help better document finds. This could lead to more people becoming adept at preserving history and lawfully reporting their discoveries.
So while Sascha Theis continues to search for traces of a Roman settlement in the field with his metal detector, it remains to be hoped that awareness of the respectful treatment of our cultural heritage will grow. Because every find tells a story - and it shouldn't be lost in the clutches of predatory excavations.